New Covid variant ‘Kraken’ spreading in UK

A new variant of Covid ‘Kraken’ which is an off-shoot of Omicron, is set to become the dominant strain in the UK.

Kraken has been steadily increasing in the UK.

Also known by its scientific name XBB.1.5, it has been seen widely in the USA too, according to the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA).

The most common variant in the UK is called BQ.1, but CH.1.1 AND XBB.1.5 (or Kraken) are likely to take over in the UK.

It has not yet been confirmed if Kraken has a different set of symptoms or severity.

Dr Meera Chand, director of clinical and emerging infections at UKHSA told The Mirror: “Through our genomic surveillance we continue to see the evolution of variants in the Omicron family.

“UKHSA is constantly monitoring the situation and working to understand the implications for public health. Vaccination remains our best defence against future Covid-19 waves, so it is still as important as ever that people come forward and take up all the doses for which they are eligible as soon as possible.”