New variant behind latest COVID-19 wave will ‘eventually dominate’

Professor Adrian Esterman says a single mutation made JN.1 more transmissible than its predecessor.
Professor Adrian Esterman.

A new and highly transmissible SARS-CoV-2 variant has been blamed for the latest spike in COVID-19 cases and hospitalisations, but a leading epidemiologist warns the full extent of its spread remains unclear.

More than 16,000 cases have been reported this year, according to national disease surveillance data, with health authorities once again urging people to wear masks in high-risk settings or if symptomatic.