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New Covid strain has been identified in the UK, experts warn - Full list of symptomsThe new Covid strain has a range of unusual symptoms that differentiate it from previously detected forms

of the virusCommentsNewsChristian Abbott Audience Writer10:22, 04 Jun 2025A new coronavirus strain has been detected in the UK(Image: Getty Images) Experts have warned that a new Covid

strain has been detected in at least seven individuals in Northern Ireland.

Known as the NB. 1.8.1 strain of coronavirus, it has already been found in other locations around the world, such as Hong Kong, China, Australia, the US and popular holiday destinations

including Egypt, Thailand and the Maldives.

‌ This strain exhibits an unusual range of symptoms outside of the typical signs people have when catching the virus.

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Dr Lara Herrero, Associate professor and virology research leader at Griffith University in Australia explaind: "Common symptoms include sore throat, fatigue, fever, mild cough, muscle aches

and nasal congestion.

"Gastrointestinal symptoms may also occur in some cases," which encompass abdominal discomfort, bloating, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, constipation and heartburn.

Article continues below The World Health Organisation (WHO) has officially classified the NB. 1.8.1 strain as a "variant under monitoring," due to its swift proliferation and potential to

bypass immunity from previous infections or vaccines.

The full list of symptoms:

a high temperature or shivering (chills) – a high temperature means you feel hot to touch on your chest or back (you do not need to measure your temperature)a new, continuous cough – this

means coughing a lot for more than an hour, or 3 or more coughing episodes in 24 hoursa loss or change to your sense of smell or tasteshortness of breathfeeling tired or exhaustedan aching

bodya headachea sore throata blocked or runny noseloss of appetitediarrhoeafeeling sick or being sick‌ WHO data shows that the strain has spread quickly, jumping from 2.5% to 10.7% of the

global sequence submissions in a span of four weeks.

A WHO spokesperson conveyed: "SARS-CoV-2 continues to evolve, and between January and May 2025, there were shifts in global SARS-CoV-2 variant dynamics. At the beginning of the year, the

most prevalent variant tracked by WHO at the global level was XEC, followed by KP.3.1.1.

"In February, circulation of XEC began to decline while that of LP.8.1 increased, with the latter becoming the most detected variant in mid-March.

Article continues below "Since mid-April, the circulation of LP.8.1 has been slightly declining as NB.1.8.1 is increasingly being detected."

They add: "However, it's crucial to note that the WHO has not observed any indications of it leading to more severe illness compared with other variants.

"It's reported that the symptoms of NB.1.8.1 are expected to be similar to those of other Omicron subvariants."