The latest Covid variant, NB.1.8.1, dubbed ‘Nimbus’, has been making the rounds in Asia and has been detected in the US, Europe, and Canada.
The WHO is keeping tabs on the variant
The virus mutation is being monitored by the World Health Organization as it was already making up more than 10.7% of cases in Asia in April, as reported by The Independent. This number rose from just 2.5% the month before.
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A pre-print study which has not yet been peer-reviewed says ‘Nimbus’ has a high “immune evasion, supporting its potential for future dominance.”
There’s a signature symptom of the variant
The mutation of the highly-contagious virus is reported to have one signature symptom: a severely sore throat that feels like “razor blades,” according to Salon.
Other symptoms mimic the flu
The Independent reports that other symptoms of the variant include traditional flu-like symptoms such as fatigue, congestion, a mild cough, fever, and muscle aches.
More recently, patients have reported experiencing gastrointestinal symptoms like nausea and diarrhea.
Global risk from the variant is low
The outlet also reported that the WHO says global risk from the strain is “currently low, and existing Covid-19 vaccines are considered effective in preventing severe disease.”
But people are still advised to take care
Despite this, it’s still advised to take precautions against catching the variant.
Dr. Rajendram Rajnarayanan, of the New York Institute of Technology, told Salon, “NB.1.8.1 is a strong candidate for the summer surge.”
There’s no evidence that it’s more deadly
While health experts are stressing precaution, they’ve also pointed out that there is no evidence that the new strain is more deadly or serious than previous Covid variants.
They also expect the current Covid vaccines to remain effective against the virus and to protect anyone infected with it from experiencing severe symptoms.