The new XE Covid variant does not really change the game at the moment, an expert says.
"It remains to be seen if it will overtake BA.2 in any way, shape or form," global public health specialist Peter Drobac told Breakfast.
XE is believed to be 10% more transmissible than the BA.2 Omicron subvariant currently sweeping New Zealand. The World Health Organization is monitoring the new variant.
It is a "recombination" of Omicron's BA.1 and BA.2 variants, meaning the two have merged.
The new variant has been detected in the UK and Thailand.
Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfied has said "it's certainly something we need to keep a watching brief on".
Drobac said XE had been detected in fewer than 1% of samples.
"At the moment I don't think it really changes the game or is in or of itself a cause for concern because it doesn't appear to be different from the variants that are currently circulating," he said.
"That said, we know that they spread like wildfire and we really have to be careful about our mitigation strategies."
Drobac reflected it was appropriate for New Zealand to shift from an elimination to a mitigation strategy.
He said "mitigation still needs mitigation", explaining mask-wearing, testing, vaccinations and improved ventilation remain key.
"I think if you can continue to really double down on those things, there should be a path to balance the number of infections and still allow you to open up."
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