ieExplains: What is the new covid variant and is it in Ireland?

In May, the World Health Organization (WHO) designated the NB.1.8.1 strain of covid as a 'variant under monitoring', and the public health risk posed by it is 'evaluated as low at the global level'. Picture: Alamy Stock Photo
Yes. It is called NB.1.8.1, and is a sub-variant of the Omicron variant.