Queensland has recorded almost 11,000 new cases of COVID-19 today as health authorities fear a new threat could be on the horizon.

Another COVID-19 sub-variant named XE has been detected overseas.

XE  is a recombinant of Omicron BA.1 — the original Omicron strain— and BA.2, known as the ‘stealth variant’.

Infectious disease epidemiologist at the World Health Organisation, Maria Van Kerkhove, says it’s about 10 per cent more transmissible than BA.2, which spreads about 75 per cent faster than BA.1.

Health authorities have detected 637 cases of the new variant in England, and it’s also been found in Thailand.

It has not yet been detected in Australia.

Image: Getty