The spread of a new variant of omicron has gained momentum. It is feared to be more contagious and to have an easier time bypassing the immune system. – It is a virus variant that has developed from the BA5 variant, which has an additional number of mutations, which means that it has an increased ability to get past the immune system, says Sara Byfors at Public Health Authorities. She points out, however, that vaccines seem to protect well against serious illness even against the new variants of the virus. The new covid-19 variant is called BQ.1 and has spread rapidly in recent weeks both in the EU and the US. The EU’s infection control authority ECDC classifies it as “variant of interest”, the second highest risk classification. ECDC believes that BQ.1 may become dominant within the EU by the end of the year. In the player: Hear Sara Byfors explain more about the new virus variant
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New virus variant: "Can lead to increased spread of infection"
