New version of Covid, called NB.1.8.1 or Nimbus, doing the rounds

[Arnie Pye]

Title : A new variant of COVID-19 may be driving up cases in some parts of the world, WHO says

Link : https://apnews.com/article/covid-variant-who-285a4e5146aa4a7ccb252e38accd5959

Article dated : 28 May 2025

COVID-19 cases are rising again as a new variant begins to circulate in some parts of the world. The World Health Organization said Wednesday the rise in cases is primarily in the eastern Mediterranean, Southeast Asia and western Pacific regions.

Airport screening in the United States has detected the new variant in travelers arriving from those regions to destinations in California, Washington state, Virginia and New York.

The new variant is called NB.1.8.1. It arrives as the United States’ official stance on COVID-19 vaccination is changing. On Tuesday, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced that COVID-19 shots are no longer recommended for healthy children and pregnant women — a move immediately questioned by several public health experts.

The new variant, increasing globally, had by mid-May reached nearly 11% of sequenced samples reported. The WHO has designated it a “variant under monitoring” and considers the public health risk low at the global level with current vaccines expected to remain effective.

Title : What to know about the COVID variant that may cause ‘razor blade’ sore throats

Link : https://apnews.com/article/covid19-sore-throat-razor-blade-vaccine-4688df53917022cb61204e08b41d5952

Article dated : 18 June 2025

The COVID-19 variant that may be driving a recent rise in cases in some parts of the world has earned a new nickname: “razor blade throat” COVID.

That’s because the variant — NB.1.8.1. or “Nimbus” — may cause painful sore throats. The symptom has been identified by doctors in the United Kingdom, India and elsewhere, according to media outlets in those countries.

Other COVID-19 symptoms of any variant include fever, chills, cough, shortness of breath or loss of taste or smell.

 

[BrightCandle]

Covid is everywhere all the time, the waves are bad because they send a lot more people to hospital and the Long Covid production rate shoots up for a month or two but the mitigations we have to take to avoid getting worse from Covid infections are something we have to do all year around. I don't think Nimbus (or XFG which looks more likely to be the one that takes off in the UK) will fill hospitals worse than before, we should see some warnings from a few that they are at capacity but it wont be the entire system just areas.

 

[NelliePledge]

the razor blade sore throat was what I had in October 22…..

 

[Trish]

Having not heard of any of my family having covid for some time, there have been 3 cases in the last few weeks.

One caught it in Italy about a month ago, seemed to recover after a week, but a couple of weeks later back in Australia is in hospital with pneumonia despite being vaccinated before travelling. The others, a couple in London, also vaccinated recently, caught it 2 weeks ago.