New Covid variant XEC gains ground as signs show virus is on the rise again

There is no evidence XEC causes more severe disease but it has gained ground in recent weeks and could become the dominant form of the virus circulating in the coming months.

It comes as Covid cases and hospitalisations increased last week, although delayed reporting due to the bank holiday may be impacting figures.

Covid cases rose from 249 to 312 last week while hospitalisations went up by 36.1pc to 132 cases, compared to 97 the previous week. Patients with Covid are particularly disruptive to hospitals and add to overcrowding.

Intensive care admissions and deaths remained low, according to the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC). It said the emerging variant XEC continues to increase and accounted for 20.6pc of samples analysed but viral loads in wastewater decreased in most catchment areas.

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Flu activity remained and the notification rate was highest in those aged less than one year. There were 79 cases, a fall from 91 cases reported the previous week. Nobody with flu was admitted to intensive care and there were no deaths reported.

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) cases increased but the numbers of reported cases remain relatively low. All babies born since early September are now offered a jab to protect them from getting sick from RSV .

Meanwhile, surveillance continues here to detect any cases of a more dangerous form of mpox, although the risk is very low.

Four cases of the Clade 1b variant have been detected in the UK. The UK Health Security Agency said all of the cases were from the same household.

The HPSC said it is monitoring the situation in Ireland, the UK and internationally, but the risk to the Irish public is very low.

Cases of Clade IIb mpox in Ireland remain low, with 17 reported so far this year. There were 13 cases of mpox confirmed in Ireland last year and 227 in 2022.

"People who have received two doses of the mpox vaccine or have previously had mpox are considered protected from severe illness caused by mpox Clade Ib. At this time, booster shots are not recommended," the HPSC said.

For those who have close contact with affected communities in countries affected by mpox, the risk is moderate. The risk is high for those who have a weak immune system.