The new sub-variant of Covid-19 is likely to become the dominant strain of coronavirus in Ireland.
Dubbed ‘Kraken’, it is a variant of the Omicron strain and is highly transmissible.
The new strain of Covid is known officially as XBB.1.5 and has been tearing its way through the United States.
That being said, the World Health Organisation has called Kraken a variant of “interest” rather than ”concern”.
According to the US Centres for Disease Prevention and Control, XBB.1.5 is likely already among the most prevalent sub-variants in the American population.
The first cases of Kraken were detected in Ireland this week. However, fewer than five cases have been recorded here so far.
Speaking to RTE, Professor of Experimental Immunology at Trinity College Dublin, Kingston Mills, explained that while Kraken is in Ireland and Europe at a "low level" right now, it will increase.
"It's likely to become the dominant variant here as well," he said.
"The big issue around it is that it's quite different to Omicron.
"So people who've got infected with the original Omicron are less likely to be protected through immunity generated.
"The vaccines are still working against it, especially the bivalent variations that are now available. So it is advisable for people to go ahead and get vaccinated if they haven't got their booster already."
For months now, scientists have been calling the various sub-variants to come from the Covid-variant Omicron after mythical creatures.
There's been a 'Basilisk', a 'Sphinx' and a 'Minotaur' among others.
Kraken, or XBB.1.5, was simply the next mythical creature on the list, right behind 'Hippogryph'.
Choosing a naming structure like this is often done to reduce the risk of offending anyone.
You may remember that Covid variants were originally attached to a country but this was considered offensive and potentially misleading.
WHO decided to use Greek letters to name the Covid variants instead.
However, since that decision, we've have more issues with sub-variants of Omicron rather than a new variant of Covid-19. All of these sub-variants have a letter and number name such as XBB.1.5 but for ease of use, they were also given the names of a mythological creature.
Unlike the Greek alphabet for variants however, the naming of sub-variants remains an unofficial naming decision.
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