A new COVID-19 variant, NB.1.8.1, a descendant of Omicron, is causing concern abroad. The World Health Organization (WHO) says symptoms appear similar to other variants and the public health risk remains low.
Currently, there are no reported cases in the US. However, 518 cases have been detected worldwide as of May 18 in 22 countries, up from 2.5% four weeks prior. While this is a significant rise, it’s still only 10.7% of global cases.
Doctors say there’s no need to panic, citing that each new variant has shown similar patterns: increased transmissibility but not higher disease severity. Vaccines are expected to remain effective against this variant.
The WHO notes the variant’s surface protein mutations may increase transmissibility and treatment challenges, but it doesn’t appear unique in any other way. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) tracker has not registered enough cases to update its COVID-19 variant tracker yet.
Experts emphasize that prioritizing vaccination, boosters, and precautions like masking for immunocompromised or high-risk groups is key. “We’ve seen summer surges with COVID,” says Dr. Todd Ellerin. “It’s too early to know if this is the virus that leads to a summer surge.”
Source: https://abcnews.go.com/Health/covid-19-variant-rising-abroad-doctors-panic/story?id=122275998