UKHSA issues a Covid update as cases of new variants are discovered

The UK’s Health Security Agency has issued an update after cases of a new variant of Covid were detected in the UK. The agency says one of the FLiRT variants, the KP.3, was identified in small numbers in the UK this summer.

The latest figures show a 12.2% rise in Covid cases in England in the week to June 26. There were also 143 deaths from Covid in England in the same week and 1,567 patients admitted to hospital with Covid.

A spokesman said: “UKHSA continues to monitor data on new variants both in the UK and internationally, assessing their severity and the continued effectiveness of vaccines.

“It is important to note that we will need more data to draw conclusions about the effect of these mutations on the transmissibility and severity of the variant.” They added: “It is normal for viruses to mutate and change and, more broadly, we are still understanding how the health system responds to the ebb and flow of seasonal cases.

“As more data becomes available about this variant, we will have a better understanding of how it interacts with our immune system and how to optimize our protection, as well as what actions we can take to protect the most vulnerable safely and to live our lives as normally as possible.”

The agency issued advice on what to do if you become ill, saying: “If you have symptoms of a respiratory infection, such as COVID-19, and have a high temperature or are not feeling well enough to go to work or transport outside of normal activities, you should avoid contact with vulnerable people and stay at home if possible.

“For those of us who cannot stay at home, our ‘Living with COVID’ guidance remains unchanged and outlines how to prevent transmission to others. Vaccines remain the best defense against severe illness and hospitalization from influenza and COVID-19.”

UKHSA says it is now actively studying the new variants, adding: “At these early stages, scientists at the Vaccine Development and Evaluation Center (VDEC) are busy growing a stock of the JN.1 variant in our isolation facilities raised so testing can begin.

“At the same time, scientists in our COVID-19 Vaccine Unit are working hand-in-hand with vaccine developers to obtain samples of new, as-yet-unlicensed vaccines to assess whether they will provide better protection against the virus.

“Flu and COVID-19 vaccinations are helping to keep vulnerable people out of hospital and getting on with their daily lives, as well as reducing pressure on the NHS.”