Health officials have issued a warning about a new coronavirus strain which comes with unusual symptoms following a spike in cases.

People in Ireland have been urged to stay home for two days if they display any signs of Covid, with the new variant also causing gastrointestinal problems. The variant, labelled NB.1.8.1, has already been flagged in the UK, US and .

Experts stressed that although old strains have been linked to flu-like symptoms, NB.1.8.1 can cause issues such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea and . Patients who experience bloating, constipation and abdominal pain could also find themselves with Covid-19.

The World Health Organization () added the variant to its official watch list and suggested that it is more transmissible than other strains. However, there isn't any evidence to indicate that it causes more acute illnesses.

READ MORE:

According to WHO, the strain first appeared in January and by late April it was responsible for around 10.7% of global infections, up from just 2.5% a month earlier. The strain has seen a rapid rise in Ireland in recent weeks. According to data from the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC), the proportion of sequencedsamples linked to NB.1.8.1 jumped from 3.7% to 27.3% in the last five weeks, .

The variant has also been confirmed in popular holiday hotspots such as Thailand, Egypt and the Maldives. It has already become dominant in parts of Asia, including and Hong Kong. Dr Lara Herrero, Associate Professor and Virology Research Leader at Griffith University, explained: "Common symptoms [of NB.1.8.1] include , fatigue, fever, mild cough, muscle aches and nasal congestion. Gastrointestinal symptoms may also occur in some cases." Irish people who find themselves unwell with unseasonal cold symptoms or gastrointestinal issues may actually have Covid, according to the HSE.

Ireland's public health guidelines remain the same: If you have any symptoms of Covid, stay at home until 48 hours after the symptoms are mostly or fully gone. You should also avoid contact with other people, especially people at higher risk from Covid.

• Fever (high temperature - 38C or above) - including having chills
• Dry cough
• Fatigue (tiredness)
• Loss or change to your sense of smell or taste – this could mean they're completely gone or just different to normal
• Nasal congestion (runny or blocked nose)
• Conjunctivitis (also known as red eye or pink eye)
• Sore throat
• Headache
• Muscle or joint pain (aches and pains)
• Different types of skin rash
• Nausea or vomiting
• Diarrhoea
• Chills
• Dizziness
• Shortness of breath or breathing difficulties
• Loss of appetite
• Confusion
• Pain or pressure in the chest