While the variant does not appear to cause worse symptoms than its predecessors, recent testing has found it could be more contagious.

Several factors have sparked an explosion in cases according to associate professor James Trauer, a respiratory and public health physician from Monash University.

‘Immunity wanes pretty substantially over three to six months, [but] also the virus evolves,’ he told Daily Mail Australia this week.

The associate professor said the immunity people developed from previous Covid infections will not fully protect them against LP.8.1.

‘We’re going to see Covid epidemics indefinitely for many years into the future because immunity does wane fairly rapidly,’ he said.
What can Australians do?
Prof Trauer said the best protection for people, particularly those who are