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Dublin Live
16 hours ago
- Health
- Dublin Live
Experts warn new Covid variant has different symptoms to look out for
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info A fresh Covid variant has emerged in Ireland and specialists say there are different symptoms to be aware of compared to other strains. Dubbed NB. 1.8.1, the new variant has witnessed a swift climb in Ireland lately. The Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) notes that the portion of sequenced Covid cases linked to NB.1.8. 1 has soared from a mere 3.7% to a hefty 33.3% within the past five weeks, reports the Irish Mirror. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has tagged NB. 1.8.1 as a "variant under monitoring" thanks to its brisk global proliferation. It's now responsible for upwards of 10% of sequenced Covid infections globally, reigning supreme as the predominant strain in locations like China and Hong Kong. The new strain has also been detected in the UK, USA and Australia, and several holiday hotspots such as Egypt, Thailand and the Maldives have reported cases too. However, what's really grabbing medical professionals' attention is how this variant might tweak the usual symptoms we're used to. Instead of the standard respiratory issues other versions tend to cause, NB.1.8.1 has been associated with gastrointestinal distress in some sufferers, including nausea, bloating, abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhoea, constipation and heartburn. Dr Lara Herrero, Associate Professor and Virology Research Leader at Griffith University at Griffith University, said: "Common symptoms [of NB.1.8.1] include sore throat, fatigue, fever, mild cough, muscle aches and nasal congestion. Gastrointestinal symptoms may also occur in some cases." She noted there's no solid evidence indicating NB. 1.8.1 is more severe, adding: "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." Dr Scott Roberts, a Yale infectious disease expert, said that Covid sees spikes twice yearly – during winter and summer seasons – variant notwithstanding. He told NBC news last week: "I'm going to go ahead and guess that it's going to lead to an uptick in the summer - probably a mild to moderate one". Dr Thomas Russo from the University at Buffalo voiced concerns to the same outlet about complacency, cautioning: "It may unfortunately come back with a little bit of vengeance on us. Let's hope that doesn't happen, but I am concerned that we may be setting ourselves up for that with this combination of factors." The WHO continues to advise against new travel or trade restrictions but calls for countries to stay vigilant, clarifying: "Based on the current risk assessment of this event, WHO advises against imposing travel or trade restrictions." Ireland's current health stance remains unchanged: Folks presenting Covid symptoms should self-isolate until they've been symptom-free for 48 hours, staying clear of others, particularly those most vulnerable to the virus. The HSE has issued a reminder to the public about the extensive list of Covid symptoms to be aware of. These include: fever (high temperature - 38C or above) - including having chills dry cough fatigue (tiredness) loss or change to your sense of smell or taste – this could mean they're completely gone or just different to normal nasal congestion (runny or blocked nose) conjunctivitis (also known as red eye or pink eye) sore throat headache muscle or joint pain (aches and pains) different types of skin rash nausea or vomiting diarrhoea chills dizziness shortness of breath or breathing difficulties loss of appetite confusion pain or pressure in the chest Join our Dublin Live breaking news service on WhatsApp. Click this link to receive your daily dose of Dublin Live content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. For all the latest news from Dublin and surrounding areas visit our homepage.
CBC
a day ago
- Business
- CBC
Liberal lobbyists line up to influence Holt government
Social Sharing New Brunswick's registry of lobbyists has seen a wave of new filings from Liberal-connected consultants looking to influence Premier Susan Holt's Liberal government on behalf of paying clients. Since Holt took power last fall, two former Liberal premiers, Brian Gallant and Shawn Graham, have taken on new clients seeking to influence government policy. Three former Liberal cabinet ministers and two former advisers have also registered new clients since Holt was sworn in. Progressive Conservative Opposition Leader Glen Savoie highlighted Gallant's Feb. 28 registration to lobby for Aecon Group Inc., a major construction company that has worked on nuclear power and natural gas projects, among others. In his filing, Gallant said he wanted to organize meetings with Infrastructure Minister Chuck Chiasson and N.B. Power CEO Lori Clark to promote Aecon's "corporate brand awareness and capabilities." Holt worked for a job-creation secretariat created by Gallant when he was premier. "Her former boss Brian Gallant said at every turn that perception matters," Savoie said. "So now here he is lobbying his former employee as a lobbyist. What's the perception on that?" Gallant forced out one of his MLAs, Donald Arseneault, in 2017 for taking on lobbying work while sitting as a backbencher. Lobbying rules allowed it, but Gallant said it would be seen as a conflict of interest. Savoie suggested Gallant might help Aecon secure a contract to build a new N.B. Power natural gas power plant in Scoudouc that was announced last December. Holt said she did not know whether Aecon had the contract and said she had never met with the company. WATCH | 'What's the perception on that?': Opposition on Liberal lobbyists Liberal lobbyists take on new clients after Holt election win 1 hour ago Duration 2:39 "Our ministers meet with community groups, not-for-profits, citizens, certainly staff of the government, front-line workers, without lobbyists at all," Holt told reporters. "The presence of a lobbyist does not determine who gets what meeting when. "If a company wants to ask [for a meeting] themselves, or pay somebody to ask for them, it's still treated the same." Asked in that case why a company would need to pay lobbyists, the premier said, "It's a great question. I'm not sure." In a written statement to CBC News, Gallant said he became "an advisor" to Aecon in early 2024, before the Liberals won the election. "Aecon has done work in Atlantic Canada and has the capabilities to do more in the region, including in New Brunswick," he wrote. Aecon did not respond to a request for comment. Gallant's February registration is his first ever in the public lobbyist registry, which has existed since 2017. Former Liberal premier Shawn Graham, a longtime lobbyist, added two new clients to his roster since Holt took power last year. He now represents Fertility Partners Inc., a Moncton clinic, and Global University Systems Canada, a for-profit chain of universities that operates three medical schools in the Caribbean. Graham said in an email his work with Fertility Partners is to help establish a research centre at the Université de Moncton and is unconnected to Holt's recent announcement about funding for one round of in vitro fertilization for New Brunswickers. In his registration for Global University Systems Canada, Graham says he would meet with Health Minister John Dornan about an initiative to "help address the family physician shortage by offering fully funded medical school education to provincial citizens." Graham turned down a request for an interview. Holt said in question period Friday that she itemizes all her official meetings in social-media videos she releases every Monday. She questioned whether there's a link between a Liberal government taking office and Liberal-connected consultants taking on new clients. "You'd have to look at the history to see if that's the case," she said. "I'm sure somebody could probably do the data to see if there's correlation between new registrations and changes in governments." The premier suggested having Liberal connections may actually be a disadvantage, because her office may hesitate over how it might look to help someone with connections. Savoie also flagged Holt's links to Jordan O'Brien, a former chief of staff to Gallant with a long list of current and former lobbying clients. Since Holt was elected, O'Brien has started lobbying for Populus Plus, a health technology company, and the Fredericton International Airport. Last fall, Liberal insider Maurice Robichaud, a former communications adviser to Graham and to an earlier Liberal premier, Frank McKenna, registered as a lobbyist for the Convenience Industry Council of Canada. The organization opposed a Liberal bill to repeal the "cost of carbon adjustor" surcharge on gasoline put in place by the Blaine Higgs government that passes the cost of federal clean-fuel regulations to consumers. The council argued repealing the surcharge would leave gas wholesalers and retailers absorbing the cost instead. A week after Robichaud registered, the Liberals put the bill on hold. Greg Byrne, a former Liberal cabinet minister and one-time chief of staff to Gallant, also registered to lobby for the council, the records show. Robichaud, meanwhile, is also registered to lobby for Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners, a wind energy company, and the New Brunswick Pharmacists Association. Another former Liberal minister, Doug Tyler, who also worked in Graham's office when he was premier, filed paperwork last month for two new lobbying clients. He is working for the Northern Group of Companies, a Grand Falls-based asphalt company, meeting with officials including Holt's chief of staff, Katie Davey, "to promote the importance of a safe and modern Highway Network in New Brunswick." He is also representing another Grand Falls company, Greystone, which he says in his filing is a new company in the power line maintenance and restoration business. Donald Arseneault, a Liberal cabinet minister in Graham and Gallant Liberal governments, has registered four new clients since the start of 2025. They include the Energy Alliance of the North, an organization of regional service commissions and First Nations that Arseneault says in his registration is seeking changes to provincial laws so it can bid to launch renewable energy projects to supply N.B. Power. Another of his clients is Groupe Lebel, a company that owns a sawmill in Tobique Valley that "has planned various capital projects and is looking for government financial assistance, along with increased Crown wood allocations," the filing says. The two other new clients are the University of Fredericton, a private institution, and the Northern New Brunswick Airport Authority Inc., which operates the Bathurst airport. Holt promised in last fall's election campaign to "modernize and strengthen the lobbyist registry to enhance transparency and accountability." Holt revealed Friday that her government is ending its $19,000 US a month contract with lobbyists in Washington who were hired earlier this year to lobby the Trump administration and members of Congress on tariffs. She said the contract, which began Feb. 3, had served its purpose. "The relationships and the connections have now been made."
CTV News
4 days ago
- Business
- CTV News
NB farmers market sees uptick in business
NB farmers market sees uptick in business The farmers market in Sussex, N.B., is seeing an uptick in business amid the trade war.
Dublin Live
4 days ago
- Health
- Dublin Live
Fast-spreading new Covid variant with unusual symptoms confirmed in Ireland
A fresh Covid variant sporting atypical signs has been spotted in Ireland, with experts flagging its swift global transmission. The Health Protection Surveillance Centre of Ireland has identified 14 instances of the new strain, dubbed NB. 1.8.1, within the past five weeks. Although the figures in Ireland remain modest, the World Health Organisation (WHO) is raising concerns as this variant now represents over 10% of worldwide Covid cases, reports the Irish Mirror. The WHO has classified NB. 1.81 as a 'variant under monitoring' due to its speedy spread and possible resistance to immunity from previous infections or vaccinations. The strain is currently predominant in Hong Kong and China, and cases have appeared in Australia, the US and various holiday hotspots such as Egypt, Thailand, and the Maldives. WHO statistics indicate that in a matter of four weeks, the proportion of this variant among all submitted global sequences has surged from 2.5% to 10.7%, triggering heightened international alarm. A representative for the WHO 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 are flagging that the new NB. 1.8.1 variant boasts multiple mutations that "may infect cells more efficiently than earlier strains". "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." Diverging from the well-known Covid symptoms such as fever, cough, and tiredness, the latest variant seems to be causing gastrointestinal issues in certain patients – marking a departure from the usual respiratory symptoms associated with previous strains. Dr Herrero noted: "Common symptoms include sore throat, fatigue, fever, mild cough, muscle aches and nasal congestion. Gastrointestinal symptoms may also occur in some cases." These gastrointestinal symptoms can span from abdominal pain and bloating to nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, constipation and indigestion. Amidst this development, the HSE is advising people in Ireland to stay vigilant about the extensive list of Covid symptoms, which now reportedly includes: fever (high temperature - 38C or above) - including having chills dry cough fatigue (tiredness) loss or change to your sense of smell or taste – this could mean they're completely gone or just different to normal nasal congestion (runny or blocked nose) conjunctivitis (also known as red eye or pink eye) sore throat headache muscle or joint pain (aches and pains) different types of skin rash nausea or vomiting diarrhoea chills dizziness shortness of breath or breathing difficulties loss of appetite confusion pain or pressure in the chest The current guidance for those showing signs of Covid in Ireland is to remain isolated at home until you're symptom-free for 48 hours. It's also crucial to steer clear of others, particularly those at increased risk from Covid. Whilst the WHO calls for continued vigilance among nations, they've stopped short of recommending restrictions on travel or trade, communicating: "Based on the current risk assessment of this event, WHO advises against imposing travel or trade restrictions." Join our Dublin Live breaking news service on WhatsApp. Click this link to receive your daily dose of Dublin Live content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. For all the latest news from Dublin and surrounding areas visit our homepage.
West Australian
7 days ago
- Health
- West Australian
New Covid subvariant NB. 1.8.1 detected in NSW, WA
A new Covid-19 subvariant, NB. 1.8.1, is beginning to take hold in NSW and Western Australia, sparking concern among health authorities as Australia heads into the winter months. According to the latest NSW Respiratory Surveillance Report, Covid-19 and influenza activity remain low overall, but early signs point to a gradual increase in Covid-19 infections, with test positivity rising to 5.7 per cent in the week ending May 17. 'We are now reporting emerging sublineage NB. 1.8.1 which is increasing in NSW,' the report reads. Wastewater surveillance in Perth also shows NB. 1.8.1 is surging in the region. While the subvariant does not appear to cause more severe illness than earlier strains, its rapid growth is raising flags both locally and internationally. The World Health Organisation recently noted that NB. 1.8.1 was increasing in prevalence globally, including in Hong Kong, where Covid hospitalisations have reached 12-month highs, and also in parts of the US. NSW Health is continuing to monitor the subvariant closely, particularly among ICU patients, to assess any changes in disease severity. For now, the variant appears more transmissible but not more dangerous. Vaccines remain effective at preventing severe disease from NB. 1.8.1, and health officials are urging residents to stay up to date with boosters and flu shots. In both NSW and WA, RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) is circulating at high levels, especially among children. WA Health has warned of a potentially early start to the flu season, with more than 6500 flu cases already recorded this year and free flu and RSV immunisations available to eligible residents until June 30. Authorities are reminding Australians to maintain good hygiene, stay home when unwell and ensure vaccinations are current to help ease pressure on hospitals over winter.
