Given the name Pirola, the new strain is said to be the most concerning since the rise of Omicron. In Scotland, Public Health Scotland says it is monitoring the situation and could expand the vaccination programme, which gets underway next week. READ MORE: Lawyer representing bereaved families describes the Scottish Covid Inquiry a a 'carousel of chaos'Why is Pirola such a concern? Dr Nick Phin, Director of Public Health Science at Public Health Scotland said: "We are continuing to monitor the emergence and prevalence of COVID-19 variants in Scotland through our surveillance programme. Dr Chris Papadopoulos, Principal Lecturer in Public Health at the University of Bedfordshire, told Express.co.uk that the most common symptoms were similar to Omicron.

Source: Express August 31, 2023 18:04 UTC