Brits are being urged to stay alert this summer as the new Covid variant could be confused for common hay fever symptoms. The FLiRT coronavirus variant is thought to be behind a 24 per cent increase in hospital admissions related to Covid last month.
It currently makes up around two-fifths of all UK Covid cases, the Express reports. Across the Atlantic, that figure rises to 69 per cent in the United States, according to The Telegraph.
With high pollen levels hitting the UK in the summer months, more people are facing stuffy noses and coughs. But experts say typical hay fever symptoms could clash with the rise of Covid. READ MORE: The nine theories devastating missing Jay Slater's family in Tenerife as conspiracy dismissed Meanwhile, the number of people suffering from hay fever in the UK continues to grow each year.
The NHS estimates that around 20 per cent of UK residents will experience reactions this summer, following a mid-June report which saw a 147 per cent increase in hay fever sufferers seeking NHS advice.