A NEW Covid variant, dubbed 'Kraken', that has taken hold in the US has now also been detected in the UK.
It comes as Covid-19 infections in the UK have jumped to their highest level since the summer, with nearly three million people likely to have had the virus at Christmas.
The new variant - an off-shoot of Omicron - was first detected in India in August and has since been found in 25 countries.
What's behind the name 'Kraken' given to the new XBB.1.5 variant?
The 'Kraken' nickname was given to the variant by Twitter users – the strain does not have an official name with a Greek letter because it is a version of Omicron.
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The name appears to have first been suggested on Twitter by evolutionary biologist Prof T. Ryan Gregory.
"This year, some of us decided that we needed nicknames for variants worth watching, given that the WHO wasn't giving any new names under their system," he wrote.
"We've been using mythological creature names for variants that are being discussed outside of technical discussions."
The Kraken is a centuries-old sailors’ legend of a gigantic octopus that swam up from the deep to crush ships and drag their crews to a violent death under the sea.
It has appeared in dozens of books and films, including Pirates of the Caribbean.
The beast is thought to be based on sightings of giant squid, which can grow up to 40 feet long.
What are the symptoms?
No official data has come out regarding infection signs of the new variant, but as an off-shoot of Omicron, many of its early symptoms should be similar to previous versions of the strain.
According to the Zoe symptom app these include:
- runny nose
- headache
- fatigue (mild or severe)
- sneezing
- sore throat
One US expert has suggested people who catch the new variant are more likely to experience cold-like symptoms, instead of flu.
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Speaking at a press conference Dr Allison Arwady, the Chicago Department of Public Health commissioner, said: "We’re seeing more people actually just have cold-like symptoms”.
"But are less likely to have those flu-like, really feeling very sick [symptoms such as] the high fevers.”
Typical cold symptoms include a runny nose, sore throat, cough and congestion, according to the NHS.
The Sun has been urging Brits to protect against both Covid and flu, as part of its “Do the Double” campaign with a good degree of success
Is XBB.1.5 more transmissible than other variants?
The Omicron strain has already been found to be milder than others that came before it.
And the mammoth rollout of vaccines across the UK has meant many already have some level of protection from the bug.
However, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has said XBB.1.5 is "the most transmissible sub-variant which has been detected yet".
The new version of the bug has gained additional mutations which make it better at evading immunity and therefore "more infectious", Prof Francois Balloux of the UCL Genetics Institute has said.
He added: "It is widely anticipated to go up in frequency globally, and may cause a sizeable fraction of cases globally in the near future.
"As such, it could push up case numbers over the coming weeks in the UK."
However, Prof Jonathan Ball a virologist at the University of Nottingham said there was "no evidence it's more dangerous" than current strains.
"It might be able to escape antibodies, but that’s not the only immunity we have.
"Our immune system is used to adapting to viruses," he explained.
What have we seen in the UK so far?
In the UK, cases are low and the Omicron spin-off makes up less than five per cent of positive tests being recorded.
Data from the Sanger Institute states that the strain is responsible for up to half of all Covid cases in the Wirral - one of the hardest hit areas, the surveillance centre says.
The dominant strain in the UK is the BQ.1 – an offshoot of BA.5, which is a close ancestor to the original Omicron strain that emerged last winter.
BQ.1 took over in November, when NHS medical director Sir Stephen Powis warned it would “drive further increases” in hospitals.
How best to protect yourself and others
Chief Medical Adviser Susan Hopkins told sick Brits to “try to stay home when unwell” and “wear a face covering” if you must go out.
Dr Belinda Griffiths from The Fleet Street Clinic said "Common sense" must be used when it comes to general mask wearing.
"If you are fit and well, with no close contacts who are known to have coughs, colds, flu or Covid, then there should be no reason to wear a mask."
People with symptoms of illnesses should be encouraged to stay home, and work from home, but if this is not possible, they should wear a mask "out of common courtesy", she explained.
"By wearing a mask, they are limiting the transmission of their virus to others when coughing and sneezing."
