Another covid-19 variant increases abroad. Doctors say that it is not necessary to panic
The cases of the new variant COVID-19 NB.1.8.1, a descendant of the Omicron variant, are increasing in certain parts of the world, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
Currently, there are not enough cases in the United States to register in the varying tracker covid of centers for disease and prevention.
Symptoms seem to be similar to other variants of COVID-19 and the risk of public health remains low, according to information.
The first sample of the variant NB.1.8.1 was taken on January 22 and a variant under surveillance was designated – which may require priority attention and monitoring – May 23 by WHO.
Since the omicron variant was detected in 2021, new cases of COVVID were dominated by hundreds of its sub -descending subsidians, although none led to the increase in cases once observed during the peak of the pandemic.
In this March 10, 2025, a file photo, a positive home test is indicated in San Anselmo, California.
Justin Sullivan / Getty images, file
Since May 18, there were 518 cases NB.8.1 detected in 22 countries, according to WHO. Although it only understands 10.7% of world cases at the end of April, this is a significant increase of 2.5% four weeks earlier.
“Remember, we have seen summer overvoltages. One thing Covid has done is that she was able to increase in summer, and she was able to increase in winter, and it is very different from the respiratory viruses that we have treated in the past. But we still don’t know if it doesn’t know too early,” ABC News.
Although there are increases in reported cases and hospitalizations in certain countries with the highest proportion of circulation NB.1.8.1, there is no report suggesting that the seriousness of the disease is higher in the latter variant than the other circulating variants of the virus.
A 3D rendering shows the omicron variant strain of the COVVI-19 virus.
Stock Image / Getty Images
“With each new variant, what we have seen is that gravity does not really change so far, we do not see that it has more serious complications,” said John Brownstein, director of innovation at Boston Children’s Hospital and ABC News contributor. “What we know is that when a virus is more transmissible, it will ultimately infect more people and when you infect more people … You will have more cases of serious illness, hospitalization and unfortunately death.”
China’s data and elsewhere seem to show nothing unique about the variant other than increased transmissibility, added Brownstein.
Some of the changes in the variant found on the surface proteins of the virus could increase its transmissibility and potentially make it a little more difficult to treat compared to current variants in circulation, according to WHO.
COVVI-19 approved vaccines should remain effective against this variant, according to WHO.
“This is the natural path that we have seen with each variant, and therefore the advice does not really change at the end of the day,” said Brownstein. “It is a question of ensuring that people are up to date with their vaccines and their boosters … And then of course, those who are immunocompromised or in high -risk groups may want to calm down in other types of interventions such as masking or pay attention to large groups of groups where there could be an increased risk of transmission.”
Niki Iranpour, MD, is an internal medical resident in NewYork-Presbyterian / Weill Cornell Medical Center and member of the ABC News medical unit.
