Ireland confirms new Covid variant with strange symptoms that's spreading fast
A new Covid variant with unusual symptoms has been confirmed in Ireland, with experts warning it is spreading rapidly across the globe.
Ireland's Health Protection Surveillance Centre has reported 14 cases of the strain, named NB.1.8.1, in the last five weeks.
While numbers here remain low, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has sounded the alarm as the variant now accounts for more than 10% of global Covid infections.
NB.1.8.1 has been officially designated a 'variant under monitoring' by the WHO due to its rapid rise and the potential to evade immunity from previous infections or vaccines. It is already the dominant strain in Hong Kong and China, and has been detected in Australia, the US and across popular holiday destinations including Egypt, Thailand and the Maldives.
According to WHO data, the strain has jumped from 2.5% to 10.7% of submitted global sequences in just four weeks, which has prompted growing international concern.
A WHO spokesperson said: "SARS-CoV-2 continues to evolve, and between January and May 2025, there were shifts in global SARS-CoV-2 variant dynamics. At the beginning of the year, the most prevalent variant tracked by WHO at the global level was XEC, followed by KP.3.1.1.
"In February, circulation of XEC began to decline while that of LP.8.1 increased, with the latter becoming the most detected variant in mid-March. Since mid-April, the circulation of LP.8.1 has been slightly declining as NB.1.8.1 is increasingly being detected."
Experts say NB.1.8.1 carries multiple mutations that "may infect cells more efficiently than earlier strains".
Dr Lara Herrero, Associate Professor and Virology Research Leader at Griffith University, explained: "It's possible a person infected with NB.1.8.1 may be more likely to pass the virus on to someone else, compared to earlier variants. The evidence so far suggests NB.1.8.1 may spread more easily and may partially sidestep immunity from prior infections or vaccination. These factors could explain its rise in sequencing data.
"But importantly, the WHO has not yet observed any evidence it causes more severe disease compared to other variants. Reports suggest symptoms of NB.1.8.1 should align closely with other Omicron subvariants."
While we are all familiar with the classic Covid signs like fever, cough and fatigue, the new variant is reported to trigger gastrointestinal symptoms in some patients - a strange shift from the typical respiratory focus of earlier strains.
Dr Herrero added: "Common symptoms include sore throat, fatigue, fever, mild cough, muscle aches and nasal congestion. Gastrointestinal symptoms may also occur in some cases."
Gastrointestinal symptoms can include abdominal pain, bloating, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation and heartburn.
This comes as the HSE has reminded the Irish public to be aware of the wide range of Covid symptoms, which it says now include:
If you have any symptoms of Covid, Ireland's current advice is to stay at home until 48 hours after the symptoms are mostly or fully gone. You should also avoid contact with other people, especially people at higher risk from Covid.
The WHO has urged countries to stay alert but has not recommended any travel or trade restrictions at this stage, stating: "Based on the current risk assessment of this event, WHO advises against imposing travel or trade restrictions."
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