A new dominant strain of COVID-19 has now displaced the previous strain that had contributed to a recent surge in cases.
FLuQE has been named as the new mutation from sub-variant FLiRT, which experts say is more contagious and responsible for increasing the number of cases and hospitalisation.
The variant has run rampant overseas and has quickly become the most dominant variant in Australia after making its way to our shores.
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The sub-variant, also known as KP.3, has an increased risk of causing re-infection as vaccine updates struggle to keep up with how fast the COVID-19 virus is changing.
NSW Health weekly respiratory surveillance data still shows that both “COVID-19 and influenza are at high levels of activity”, although may be starting to trend downwards.
As shown in the most recent report, FLuQE could be seen first entering the community in reportable numbers about the end of March.
By June, it had taken over as the dominant COVID-19 sub-lineages in NSW.
Concerns over another new strain
However, there are reports of another new sub-variant causing alarm in the US, amid fears of a “summer surge” in cases.
The LB.1 strain is trailing close behind FLuQE and FLiRT as the dominant variant in the country right now, and steadily growing, according to the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.
LB.1 currently represents almost 18 per cent of cases in the country.