A new Omicron subvariant of Covid-19, designated NB.1.8.1, has been detected in the UK and is increasing as a proportion of cases, according to international data. The World Health Organization has warned that the strain is more contagious, although vaccination offers significant protection.
Experts have cautioned that the virus remains a threat five years after the pandemic began, with cases rising in the US and fears it could replicate in the UK. However, the latest UK Health Security Agency data shows a 28% drop in reported cases over the past week to 1,046, though actual prevalence is likely higher due to low testing rates.
Immunologist Professor Danny Altmann of Imperial College London said it was “absolutely true” that Covid is as likely to be caught in summer as in winter, contradicting initial predictions that it would become a seasonal illness. He described the virus as “not a sniffle” but “quite symptomatic”, particularly for vulnerable people, and noted its impact on excess death figures and NHS pressure.
Sociologist Dr Simon Williams of Swansea University questioned whether Covid will ever become a winter virus, while Professor Adam Kucharski of the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine explained that the virus evolves twice as fast as influenza, allowing it to overcome seasonal barriers. The main circulating variants are Omicron subvariants, which are milder than earlier strains due to population immunity from vaccines and prior infections, not because they are inherently less severe.
Experts expressed concern over low uptake of free vaccines for at-risk groups, including those aged 75 and over and immunocompromised individuals. Professor Altmann recommended that those who can afford it pay for a vaccine, as he continues to hear from new long Covid sufferers. He highlighted a “spectrum of suffering”, from mild infections to repeated reinfections causing time off work, to debilitating long Covid.
Growing vaccine hesitancy and a cohort of children who were too young for pandemic jabs pose further risks. While the population still has hybrid immunity, experts fear complacency could lead to future surges, especially as the virus continues to evolve rapidly.
