Omicron Subvariants Could Dominate Winter Virus Cases

Subvariants of the Omicron Covid strain could dominate cases this winter, experts have warned.

- Thomas Kingsley

Multiple subvariants of the highly transmissible strain, which experts have dubbed Omicron's "grandchildren" will likely cause a rise in cases this winter taking over from the current leading subvariant, BA.5, which led the UK's fifth wave in the summer.

One in 35 people in England now has the virus according to the latest figures, marking the fourth consecutive increase in the region. The rise means the total number of people in private households in the UK testing positive for coronavirus stood at 1.7 million in the week to 3 October, up 31 percent from 1.3 million in the previous week.

In England, the estimated number of people testing positive was 1,513,700, equating to 2.78 percent of the population. In Scotland, the trend was uncertain, according to the Office for National Statistics, but the estimated number of people testing positive for Covid-19 was 109,700, equating to 2.08 percent of the population, or around 1 in 50 people.

Public health experts were hoping cases were heading toward a decline, as per the daily updated Covid ZOE app figures that logs symptoms and cases across the UK. However, the presence of immune evasive subvariants is raising concern about whether cases could rise further.