One of Australia’s top health experts has warned the country faces being swamped by another wave of Covid-19 cases as two new Omicron variants sweep the nation. 

NSW chief health officer Kerry Chant echoed concerns from interstate counterparts that sub-variants BQ. 1 and XBB will run rampant and soon overtake BA.5 as the dominant strain in Australia.

The XBB strain, which recently emerged in Singapore, has ripped through Australia with cases rising tenfold in a matter of weeks.

XBB has been dubbed by some international experts as the ‘nightmare variant’ and the ‘most vaccine-resistant yet’.

The news comes after University of Queensland‘s School of Biomedical Science researchers recently discovered a previously unknown Covid side-effect on the brain, which experts described as a ‘silent killer’.

Covid cases are expected to spike again in the coming weeks with the arrival of two new variants. Pictured are crowds at Randwick Racecourse in Sydney last month

Covid cases are expected to spike again in the coming weeks with the arrival of two new variants. Pictured are crowds at Randwick Racecourse in Sydney last month

Covid cases are expected to spike again in the coming weeks with the arrival of two new variants. Pictured are crowds at Randwick Racecourse in Sydney last month

In a video message Dr Chant warned: ‘We’re starting to see an increase in Covid-19 cases and changes in the variants circulating in NSW, which tells us that we’re entering the next Covid wave.’ 

‘By looking at all the local information we have, and what’s happening overseas, we believe Covid cases will rise in the coming weeks.’

Dr Chant reiterated vaccination was the best protection against the new strain and urged sick people to stay home, just weeks after the final Covid restrictions were scrapped in Australia. 

‘The protection the NSW community has from vaccination and previous infection continues to reduce the risk of severe illness,’ Dr Chant said.

‘However the elderly and those with underlying health conditions continue to be at risk.

Her warning comes as University of Queensland’s School of Biomedical Science researchers found on Thursday that Covid-19 activates the same inflammatory response in the brain as Parkinson’s disease.

Their findings have been published in scientific journal Molecular Psychiatry.

‘We studied the effect of the virus on the brain’s immune cells, “microglia”, which are the key cells involved in the progression of brain diseases like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s,’ Prof Trent Woodruff said.

NSW chief health officer Kerry Chant (pictured) expects sub-variants BQ. 1 and XBB to become the new dominant Covid strains in Australia

NSW chief health officer Kerry Chant (pictured) expects sub-variants BQ. 1 and XBB to become the new dominant Covid strains in Australia

NSW chief health officer Kerry Chant (pictured) expects sub-variants BQ. 1 and XBB to become the new dominant Covid strains in Australia

‘Our team grew human microglia in the laboratory and infected the cells with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19. We found the cells effectively became “angry”, activating the same pathway that Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s proteins can activate.’

It creates a ‘fire’ in the brain, which leads to a ‘chronic and sustained’ process of killing off neurons.

‘It’s kind of a silent killer, because you don’t see any outward symptoms for many years,’ Dr Albornoz Balmaceda added.

‘It may explain why some people who’ve had Covid-19 are more vulnerable to developing neurological symptoms similar to Parkinson’s disease.’

Health bosses have warned people who have Covid symptoms to stay home while they're sick Pictured, commuters at Sydney's Central train station

Health bosses have warned people who have Covid symptoms to stay home while they're sick Pictured, commuters at Sydney's Central train station

Health bosses have warned people who have Covid symptoms to stay home while they’re sick Pictured, commuters at Sydney’s Central train station

NSW recorded 9707 cases in the week ending October 28, an increase of 11.4 per cent from the previous week.

Around 227 cases were admitted to hospital, including 18 in intensive care while 17 deaths were recorded.

‘There are several subvariants of the virus circulating and BA.4 and BA.5 dominance is diminishing (63%),’ the latest NSW Health report released on Thursday stated.

‘We are closely monitoring S-gene target and sequencing data in relation to the BA.2 sub-lineages and we are also monitoring other emerging variants.’

The two new variants emerged after the final Covid restrictions were recently scrapped (pictured, a Sydneysider being swabbed at a drive-through clinic)

The two new variants emerged after the final Covid restrictions were recently scrapped (pictured, a Sydneysider being swabbed at a drive-through clinic)

The two new variants emerged after the final Covid restrictions were recently scrapped (pictured, a Sydneysider being swabbed at a drive-through clinic)

In Victoria, Covid cases rose by nearly a quarter within a week while hospitalisations rose by 20 per cent, sparking concerns from health officials about ‘the start of another Covid-19 wave’.

‘Surveillance shows the presence of multiple Omicron subvariants in Victoria including rapid growth of (the Omicron subvariant) BQ. 1 and XBB in the past month, with a combined prevalence of approximately 10 per cent in wastewater and clinical sample,’ Victoria’s chief health officer Professor Brett Sutton said last week.

‘With case numbers on the rise locally and internationally, particularly in Europe and in South-East Asia, Victorians are reminded that vaccination, masks, ventilation, testing, staying home when sick and COVID-19 treatments are highly effective at reducing transmission, illness and deaths and also protect the health system.’

Queensland counterpart Dr John Gerrard admitted this week it was ‘quite possible’ the Sunshine State will soon experience another wave of the virus.

‘The virus will probably remain with us forever,’ he said.

‘At this stage, it is difficult for our epidemiologists to predict what the pandemic is going to do going forward.’

Leading infectious disease experts estimate around 80 per cent of Australians have had Covid in the three years since the pandemic hit our shores in January 2020.

The World Health Organisation has not yet classed XBB as a concerning variant.

Health authorities in Victoria last week warned of 'the start of another COVID-19 wave' with the 'rapid' growth of XBB (pictured, people in Melbourne's CBD)

Health authorities in Victoria last week warned of 'the start of another COVID-19 wave' with the 'rapid' growth of XBB (pictured, people in Melbourne's CBD)

Health authorities in Victoria last week warned of ‘the start of another COVID-19 wave’ with the ‘rapid’ growth of XBB (pictured, people in Melbourne’s CBD)

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