NEW COVID VARIANT DETECTED AS PEOPLE URGED TO COME FORWARD FOR VACCINATIONS

Health officials have confirmed a new variant of COVID-19 has been identified in Northern Ireland. The region's autumn flu and COVID vaccination programs have been rolled out as a preventative measure against the latest Omicron sub-variant, BA.2.86.

The strain was first identified in England in August, and the Public Health Agency (PHA) said there are now a small number of cases in Northern Ireland. Health experts say there is no evidence that the new variant is more likely to make people sicker than other circulating variants, while vaccination is likely to offer continued protection.

custom. In the latest COVID-19 epidemiological bulletin, PHA said that in the week ending October 1, the number of new COVID-19 infections detected through clinical and routine testing was 448, a slight increase compared to the previous year. 441 last week, He added, “There have now been a small number of confirmed cases of BA.2.86 identified in NI.

At this time, there is no evidence that this variant causes more severe illness or spreads more easily than other variants currently circulating. Regarding COVID-19 infections in nursing homes, the bulletin said:

“The number of new outbreaks has increased in the current week compared to the previous week; with 11 new outbreaks reported in week 39, compared to 7 last week. Last week, there was a slight decrease in community-sourced emergency hospital admissions related to COVID-19, with 65 admissions in the current week compared with 67 in the previous week.

"The group over 80 years old recorded the majority of community-acquired COVID-19 emergency hospital admissions in week 39 (40.0%). There is a general increasing trend in the number of COVID-19 patients admitted to emergency hospitals Community-sourced research in most age groups over 80.

Recent weeks The report said that in the week ending September 29, 10 Covid deaths were recorded in Northern Ireland. The country's chief medical officer, Sir Michael McBride, previously urged people to get vaccinated to ease pressure on Northern Ireland's hospitals this winter.

Sir Michael said that although the threat of COVID-19 had diminished, it still had the potential to cause severe illness and death.