A worrying new coronavirus variant has been identified in 10 countries including in the UK, scientists have said.
The Covid variant contains potentially worrying mutations and scientists are experts saying it should be targeted in surge testing.
To date, it has been identified in 10 countries including Denmark, the US and Australia, with 32 cases found in the UK so far.
The variant has similarities in its genome to the Kent variant known as B117, and it contains a number of mutations that have worried researchers
This includes the E484K which is in dangerous variants that emerged in South African and Brazil and is thought make the virus better able to escape antibodies produced by the body.
Dr Simon Clarke, an associate professor of cellular microbiology at the University of Reading, said: “We don’t yet know how well this [new] variant will spread, but if it is successful it can be presumed that immunity from any vaccine or previous infection will be blunted,”.
The worrying development comes as Ireland saw some positive news yesterday as zero Covid deaths were reported for the first time in months.
Outbreaks in colleges
However, health chiefs here have expressed concerns over a number of outbreaks which have occurred in Irish Universities.
More than 100 cases have been discovered at a university in Galway and a number of other people are awaiting test results.
Deputy chief medical officer Dr Ronan Glynn said: "We simply cannot have that on a population level right now to continue to suppress the disease."
Dr Lorraine Doherty, clinical director of health protection at the HSE, warned against sacrificing all the gains made during the weeks of extra restrictions.
"We are concerned about the rise in infections in third-level (education)."
Possible change to vaccine plan
Health Minister Stephen Donnelly has said a review of the vaccine priority list, could see some vulnerable people receive vaccinations sooner than expected.
Speaking on Monday, Mr Donnelly said the decision to use the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine only for younger people impacts the priority sequencing list, the Irish Examiner reports.
This list, drawn up by the National Immunisation Advisory Committee (NIAC), is based on the risk from Covid-19 to each group.
Mr Donnelly said: “NIAC is doing a more detailed review now, particularly of that list, to make sure that those who are more vulnerable to this are a priority.”
He expects a report from NIAC in the “next day or two” and hopes to bring this to Cabinet by next Tuesday, he said.
It comes following the announcement of the location of Ireland's vaccine centres set to be rolled out across the country.
