There are reportedly thousands of people in Ireland who are more exposed to the latest strain of Covid-19, Omicron XE, due to their vaccination status.
The strain, which is a mixture of the BA.1 and BA.2 variants is known to be more transmissible and can cause “considerable illness” in those who do not have their booster.
The new Omicron subvariant has been detected in Northern Ireland, according to data published by the UK's Public Health Agency.
READ MORE: Luke O'Neill shares main concern over Omicron XE variant as he pinpoints date of next Covid surge
Scientists have confirmed that XE contains a mix of the highly infectious omicron BA.1 strain and the newer “stealth” Omicron BA.2 variant, which is currently the dominant variant here in Ireland.
Some doctors have noted that certain characteristics of this new variant deem it the most contagious yet.
It is what’s known as a "recombinant," which is a type of variant that develops when a person becomes infected with two or more variants at the same time. The numerous strains then mix today within the body and create a new leg of the virus.
A new Irish study presented to the European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases in Lisbon shows that although Ireland’s vaccination rates remain high, people who are unvaccinated continue to experience ‘considerable illness’ from Covid-19.
The study, which was led by the Department of Infectious Diseases at Galway University Hospital, studied 176 patients who returned a positive test result for Covid-19 between June and November last year and had to be admitted to hospital.
It showed that 76 of these patients had not received a Covid-19 vaccine from the primary series of vaccinations, were generally younger, male, and required respiratory support.
The unvaccinated patients were also nearly four times more likely to be admitted to intensive care, according to the research.
UK studies show the symptoms of Omicron XE to be mild for those who have built up immunity through vaccination and past infection but they have been much more severe for immunocompromised and unvaccinated patients.
Some of the symptoms that have been reported with XE include fever, sore throat, scratchy throat, cough and cold, skin irritation and discolouration, gastrointestinal distress, and loss of taste and smell.
Some of the symptoms of a more severe infection associated with the new strain are heart ailments, palpitations, and in rare cases, nerve damage.
Fatigue and dizziness have been logged as some of the early symptoms, and are followed days later by headaches, a sore throat, muscle soreness, and a temperature.
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