Experts have discovered that Omicron’s UK subvariant has now become the dominant one.
BA.5 was first detected in April and was made a variant of concern in May.
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The Covid strain, which is responsible for 79% of the cases, has gained momentum in the county.
Coronavirus cases have risen in recent weeks. Fresh data today indicates that they are up ten percent on last week’s numbers. Omicron, however, is a milder strain of the virus than those that came before.
Brits are now protected against serious side effects from the disease thanks to the huge rollout of vaccines.
Chiefs of the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), however, stressed that now is not the right time to be complacent. They urged those most vulnerable to ensure they have the latest jabs.
Today, the Office for National Statistics revealed that one in seventeen people has the bug.
The week before, infections were more severe than usual but are now at a steady pace in all regions except the North West. This raises hopes for an end to this summer wave.
NHS figures show the number of patients in hospital with the bug began to fall on Monday, when it peaked at 14,044 – by Thursday it was down to 13,375.
The average daily admissions are now 1,704 as compared to 1,864 one week ago.
Experts are also investigating other variants, namely Omicron BA.2.75.
This is the BA.2 lineage, which was discovered earlier in this month.
There were 24 BA.2.75 cases as of July 18, 2017. These included 20 in England, 3 in Scotland, and 1 in Wales.
Dr Meera Chaud, UKHSA Director, Clinical an Emerging Infection, stated that “We continue to monitor and give variant designations to variants if these are sufficiently distinct to warrant separate epidemiological laboratory assessments.”
“It’s not unusual to see new linesages. Continued investigation is an important part of the surveillance of infectious diseases.
“It is important that everyone ensures that they are up to date with all vaccinations that have been offered as they remain our best form of defence against severe illness.”
The latest data from the ZOE symptom tracker app revealed that 57 per cent of people logging their symptoms on the app experienced a sore throat, while 49 per cent had a headache.
This is a departure from the previous three main symptoms that were previously identified by the NHS, which were a persistent cough, high temperatures and loss of taste or smell.
However, around 40% of people still experience some form of cough.
They identified the following signs as top-five to be on your watch:
- Sore throat
- Headache
- Blockage nose
- No phlegm.
- Runny nose.
Another sign people may be experiencing is a cough with phlegm and a hoarse voice.
Since its debut last Christmas, the Omicron strain BA5 has been the third to be taken over by the Omicron family. It has grown to spread faster than the previous strains but is still milder.
According to the ONS, the current trend is “uncertain”The BA.5 takeover wave is similar to the spring surge when BA.2 was dominant.