‘Mutant’ Covid-19 wave hits Queensland
Hospitalisations in one Australian state have rapidly doubled due to a new “mutant” strain of the Covid-19 virus.
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A new “mutant” strain of the Covid-19 virus has sent hospitalisation figures in Queensland skyrocketing amid the holiday period - with the state’s top health officials admitting she is “very concerned” by the latest outbreak.
The number of people in hospital due to Covid-19 has doubled in the last fortnight in the Sunshine State, with Queensland chief health officer Dr Heidi Carroll warning the virus had continued to mutate, causing a “sharp increase” this month.
“COVID-19 is not going away; in fact it continues to mutate and Queensland is experiencing another wave,” she said.
“I’m very concerned about the rapidly increasing number of elderly Queenslanders being hospitalised.
“Most of those being hospitalised are over the age of 65 and not up to date with vaccinations, so I can’t stress enough the importance of being vaccinated against COVID-19.”
An average 258 Queensland are being sent to hospital with Covid-19 per day at the moment, a 128 per cent increase from less than two weeks ago.
Almost one in five Queenslander hit with COVID-19 this year were hospitalised.
“We’re now in peak festive gathering season, which unfortunately means Queenslanders are at greater risk of catching and spreading the virus,” Ms Carroll said.
“We can halt the momentum of this COVID-19 wave if people ensure their vaccinations are up to date, especially our most vulnerable, stay home if they are unwell and practise good hygiene.”
The latest wave has come as a result of the newest Covid-19 strain – XEC.
The variant was first detected in Italy in May 2024 and has taken off in Australia in recent months.
Pathobiology expert Dr Lara Herrero said the variant is predicted to become the dominant strain of Covid-19 worldwide.
“We don’t know why yet, but reports suggest it may be able to spread more easily than other variants,” she said.
“It’s hard to predict how XEC will behave in Australia as we head into summer. We’ll need more research to understand more about this variant as it spreads.
“But given XEC was first detected in Europe during the northern hemisphere’s summer months, this suggests XEC might be well suited to spreading in warmer weather.”
Originally published as ‘Mutant’ Covid-19 wave hits Queensland
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