Written question WQ96614
- Asked by
- Darren MillarConservative
- To be answered by
- Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care
- Tabled
- Due
- Answered
- Time to answer
- 9 days
Question
What steps have been taken by the Welsh Government and health boards to monitor and address potential Covid variant NB.1.8.1 presence in Wales?
Answer
Answered by Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care
The Welsh Government has established comprehensive surveillance systems to track COVID-19 variants, including NB.1.8.1 sometimes called the “Nimbus variant”. Public Health Wales (PHW) monitors this variant through its weekly epidemiological reports, providing up-to-date data on prevalence and trends across Wales. While the UK has detected a small number of cases of variant NB.1.8.1, international data suggests that it is growing as a proportion of all COVID-19 cases.
NB.1.8.1 is therefore classified by the World Health Organisation (WHO) as a Variant Under Monitoring. The WHO currently assesses the overall risk of NB.1.8.1 as low, with no evidence of additional public health risks compared to other Omicron descendant lineages - based on the available information, there is no evidence to suggest that this variant causes more severe disease than previous variants, or that the vaccines in current use will be less effective. The Welsh Government continues to follow JCVI advice in regard to COVID-19 Vaccination.
The Welsh Government and PHW will continue to monitor the situation closely, including regular discussion with the other UK nations, and will respond as needed.