* This variant is very contagious – it spreads faster than others and can infect people even if they are fully vaccinated.
* Vaccines and boosters are still essential – they do a great job at protecting against severe disease that could put you in hospital.
* It is milder – if you catch it, the risk of needing hospital treatment is up to 70% lower than with previous variants – but that is largely because many of us have built up immunity from vaccines and past infections rather than changes to the virus.
