New Covid wave to hit Europe ‘within a week’, warns watchdog

The European Medicines Agency (EMA) has warned that a new wave of Covid is expected to hit Europe "within a week". The health agency also warned that new variants of the virus were evolving faster than the supply of adaptive vaccines.

The EU watchdog said that the pandemic was not over yet and everyone needs to be cautious about the new mutations that continue to surface.

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"Last week one of these new Omicron variants that is called BQ.1 has been identified in at least five countries in the European Union and European Economic Area," AFP quoted Dr Marco Cavaleri, head of health threats and vaccines strategy as saying.

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“According to the ECDC (European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control) BQ.1 and each sub-lineage, which is called BQ.1.1 will become the dominant strains by mid-November to the beginning of December,” Dr Marco Cavaleri said.

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However, the health agency said that vaccines continue to still be effective against Covid. At the same time, European health officials have asked people in high risk groups to get vaccinations against the influenza virus that could circulate this winter.

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The warning comes at a time when BQ.1 and closely related BQ.1.1 subvariants of Omicron are driving up cases across Europe and the United States.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has also said that BQ.1.1 subvariant is circulating in at least 29 countries.