What has caused the global spike in new Covid variant 'Nimbus' NB.1.8.1?

The new 'Nimbus' strain is the latest Covid variant, and cases have been confirmed in the UK.
A new variant of Covid named NB.1.8.1 or 'Nimbus' is spreading like wildfire across the globe, with India the newest country to report a severe spike in cases. This new strain has also been found in Thailand, Indonesia and China, and the UK Health Security Agency recorded its first cases in the UK last week.
NB.1.8.1 originated from the Omicron variant of the virus, and was first found back in January of this year. Cases have also been reported in states across the United States and Australia.
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According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the Nimbus variant made up around 10.7 per cent of global recorded sequences in April, a staggering increase from just 2.5 per cent in March.
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The new strain has been declared a "variant under monitoring" by WHO, meaning that it could change the behaviours of the virus. Nimbus has been found in 22 countries so far and presents some unusual new symptoms.
Scientists have found that this new variant also spreads more easily than previous strains of Covid, which may explain the recent surge in cases.
Dr Chun Tang, GP at UK private healthcare centre Pall Mall Medical, said: 'NB.1.8.1 isn't too different from the Omicron variant, but it does have some tweaks to its spike protein, which might make it spread a bit more easily or slip past some of our existing immunity.
'That said, early signs suggest it doesn't seem to cause more serious illness, but of course, we're still learning more about it.'
Australian virologist Lara Herrero, of Griffith University, wrote in The Conversation last month: 'Using lab-based models, researchers found NB.1.8.1 had the strongest binding affinity to the human ACE2 receptor of several variants tested, suggesting it may infect cells more efficiently than earlier strains."
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WHO has stated that risk to the global public is low, and that existing Covid vaccines are considered effective in preventing severe cases of the virus.
Most common symptoms of Nimbus are similar to that of previous Covid strains.
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They include a severe sore throat, fatigue, mild cough, fever, muscle aches and congestion.
Some patients have also experienced gastrointestinal symptoms such as nausea, diarrhoea, or even heartburn, reported The Independent.
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The full list of symptoms are;
a high temperature or shivering (chills) – a high temperature means you feel hot to touch on your chest or back (you do not need to measure your temperature)
a new, continuous cough – this means coughing a lot for more than an hour, or 3 or more coughing episodes in 24 hours
a loss or change to your sense of smell or taste
shortness of breath
feeling tired or exhausted
an aching body
a headache
a sore throat
a blocked or runny nose
loss of appetite
diarrhoea
feeling sick or being sick
While Nimbus may be more easily transmissible between people, healthcare experts are stressing that there is no evidence that the new strain is more deadly or serious than previous variants.
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Wales Online

13 hours ago

• Wales Online

I took Mounjaro and the results changed my life

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"One of the last things she ever said to me was that she wanted me to lose weight. She was a big woman too, but after getting diagnosed with diabetes, she changed everything. She went from a size 26 to a 14 - it was really amazing to see. She did it - and she wanted the same thing for me." This echoed through Jess' mind when she looked at herself last year. "Reaching 24 stone.... I cried. Honestly, I felt ashamed of myself. I thought that if I don't do something, I won't live to see my son turn 18." A year ago, Jessica weighed 24 stone and four pounds (Image: Jessica Miles ) Article continues below That's when she found Mounjaro - a weight loss option that has become increasingly familiar in the public eye - for both positive and negative reasons. Jess had started seeing the name crop up on Facebook and TikTok, the latest buzz in weight loss. "It was everywhere," she recalled. "But I didn't know anyone who had tried it. Back then it was so new, so I was very apprehensive about it." It wasn't just the unknown that made her hesitate. It was the cost - upwards of £250 a month. "I kept putting it off, thinking 'I can't afford this'. But one day I just thought, b****r it! Something has to change and nothing else has worked!" ‌ Armed with this sudden burst of determination, she booked a consultation with Iechyd Teifi Health, a private clinic. On July 4, 2024, she walked in, shaking hands with the consultant with a pounding heart: "I actually said out loud, 'I don't know what I'm doing here.' I was so incredibly nervous." Jess was honest from the start about her biggest worry: the side effects. "The list was terrifying," she admits. "I have read that there are possible cases of thyroid cancer, liver and kidney issues.... not to mention the more common stuff like nausea or constipation." These concerns weren't unfounded. The NHS website notes, "Common side effects, include: ‌ Feeling sick Indigestion Constipation Diarrhoea "There can be some more serious side effects, such as low blood sugar, gallstones and inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis)." Fortunately, Jess had no underlying health conditions that would have put her at severe risk with the treatment. Through further discussion with the doctors at her workplace, Jess was given the green light to proceed - with agreement to have regular blood tests to keep everything in check. ‌ From the moment she took her first injection, almost a year ago, Jess says something shifted. "I had my first injection the day of my consultation. That night, I remember sitting down to eat and I just... couldn't," she said. "There was a full plate of food in front of me, and I managed about a quarter of it. I physically couldn't eat more. It was shocking. Normally I'd eat massive portions without a second thought." That initial shock was quickly followed by nausea, a side effect that lingered for the first few weeks and continues to take hold. "I wasn't used to it in the beginning. I felt sick a lot, especially the first weekend. I barely ate anything," Jess says. "But weirdly, I sort of needed that reset. It forced me to stop and think about what I was putting in my body." ‌ That thought struck after a late night stop at her local chippy. "I had a portion of chips and my gosh was I ill that night. It must have been all the grease and fat... From that point on, I realised I had to actually change what I eat." Jess didn't give up all her favourite foods - she didn't need to. But her relationship with them has changed. "Chocolate used to be my downfall. I used to be able to eat a whole bar of Galaxy in one sitting. Now? A square or two and I am genuinely satisfied." Jessica shared that she had always struggled with her weight but since taking the injection has seen an incredible difference (Image: Jessica Miles ) ‌ Her drastic change in appetite has also impacted her daily routine. "I don't eat breakfast now. A coffee keeps me going until about half ten and then I'll have a small portion of fruit before lunch. If I have a proper lunch, sometimes I don't have supper. I have cut down on all my snacking. The injection has changed everything." And yet in those early months, people didn't believe it would last. "I think a lot of my family and friends thought I'd give up like I always had before, and I don't blame them! I had a history of starting strong and then slipping back into old habits. "But this time was different. They started to take notice when I hit that two-stone mark. That's when they realised I was serious." 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Medical News Today

18 hours ago

• Medical News Today

Walking 100 minutes per day may help lower risk of chronic back pain

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However, several risk factors are modifiable, including obesity, improving lifting techniques, smoking, stress, and a sedentary lifestyle.'Low back pain is the leading cause of disability worldwide and accounts for the highest healthcare spending in the U.S.,' Rayane Haddadj, MS, a PhD candidate in the Department of Public Health and Nursing at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology in Norway, told Medical News Today. 'Identifying modifiable risk factors that can be targeted and easily implemented through public health policy and interventions is therefore of great importance.'Haddadj is the first author of a new study recently published in the journal JAMA Network Open that says increasing the length of time you walk, and its intensity, may help lower your risk for chronic low back pain. Walking 100+ minutes per day lowers low back pain riskFor this study, researchers analyzed medical data from more than 11,000 adult participants with an average age of about 55 from the Trøndelag Health (HUNT) Study in Norway, which ran from 2017 to 2019 with a follow-up in 2021 to 2023. At the start of the HUNT study, study participants did not have chronic low back pain. Researchers focused on the daily minutes each participant walked and their walking intensity, or how quickly they walked, which is calculated by using the metabolic equivalent of task (MET) per the study's conclusion, Haddadj and his team found that participants walking for more than 100 minutes per day were associated with a 23% lower risk of chronic low back pain, compared to those who walked less than 78 minutes per day.78 vs. 100 minutes a day'Our study shows that higher daily walking volume lowers the risk of developing chronic low back pain. The relationship was dose-dependent — meaning the more people walked, the lower their risk — up to about 100 minutes per day, after which the benefit leveled off. Even small increases in daily walking were associated with a decreased risk of chronic low back pain.' — Rayane Haddadj, MSWalking intensity also linked to lower pain riskAdditionally, researchers discovered that walking intensity was also associated with the risk of chronic low back pain, but to a lesser degree than walking volume. 'Our results suggest that a higher average walking intensity is associated with lower risk of chronic low back pain,' Haddadj said. 'However, the association was less pronounced than for walking volume. Further research, including a more robust assessment of walking intensity, could enhance our understanding of its association with the risk of chronic low back pain.''Our results reinforce a growing body of evidence showing that physical activity is essential for long-term health. Even small increases in daily activity can make a difference. Or as the World Health Organization puts it 'every move counts towards a better health'.'— Rayane Haddadj, MS'Walking is a simple, low cost, and accessible activity that can be promoted widely to reduce the burden of low back pain,' Haddadj added. 'Walking more could therefore be a simple yet powerful way to reduce risk of chronic low back pain and other diseases. Future studies investigating parameters such as timing and context of walking could enhance our understanding of the association between walking and risk of chronic low back pain.' Walking more may not always prevent back painMNT spoke with Neel Anand, MD, MCh Orth, a board certified orthopedic spine surgeon and director of the Cedars-Sinai Spine Center in Los Angeles, about this study. Anand commented that while he agrees with the study's findings that activity is better than no activity, he does not agree with the idea that if you walk, you will lower your risk for chronic back pain. 'Walking does not prevent back pain. Walking helps you get better because activity will help back pain always — it actually does. If you have chronic back pain, activity and walking actually makes it feel better than remaining stationary.' — Neel Anand, MD, MCh Orth'But the idea that you walk, you're not going to get back pain, makes no sense at all — that idea is not logical,' Anand continued. 'Back pain is a degenerative disorder. Yes, a couch potato has more chances of getting back pain than a person who's more active — that is correct. But to take that a step further and say, just because you walk, you're not going to get back pain is too far a reach. In my opinion, that's too far a conclusion to make.'

The Independent

a day ago

• The Independent

A chartered physiotherapist shares three exercises that can ‘help reduce lower back pain'

Such is the prevalence of lower back pain that, in 2023, the World Health Organisation (WHO) released guidelines for 'non-surgical management' of the condition. An accompanying report states that lower back pain affected 619 million people globally in 2020, with that figure only expected to grow due to 'population expansion and ageing '. About 90 per cent of cases are non-specific – 'it isn't possible to identify a specific disease or structural reason to explain the pain'. According to the report, the major risk factors for non-specific lower back pain are low physical activity levels, obesity, smoking and high physical stress at work. As a result, 'physical therapies to improve muscle strength and ability to move', as well as 'lifestyle changes including more physical activity, healthy diet and good sleep habits', are front and centre among WHO's suggested treatments. How to use movement to manage lower back pain For many people, varied movement can be beneficial for easing lower back pain if approached in an appropriate, gradual and progressive way. After all, the body adheres to the SAID (specific adaptation to imposed demands) principle, so if pain-free movement of the spine is the goal, slowly reintroducing movement in this area is the obvious way to achieve it. Likewise, strengthening the surrounding muscles can help you build a strong base of support and stability for your spine. But what sort of movements can we use to achieve this? Below, chartered physiotherapist and Physique ambassador Tash Gale shares three exercises which 'can be helpful to reduce lower back pain'. Between them, they aim to mobilise the spine, reduce stiffness in the lower back and hips, and build core stability. However, she adds: 'Exercises chosen for back pain should be specifically chosen for an individual for their needs and the exercise should be tailored to the individual.' A physiotherapist's three exercises for reducing lower back pain Exercise one: Cat/cow stretch Sets: 3 Repetitions: 5-10 Start in a tabletop position, on your hands and knees with your arms straight, knees at a right angle, hands under your shoulders and knees under your hips. Inhale and lift your head and tailbone to arch your back. This is the 'cow' portion of the exercise. Exhale and tuck your chin and pelvis to round your spine. This is the 'cat' portion of the exercise. Benefits 'This move helps improve mobility and flexibility in the spine, gently mobilising the back and abdominal muscles to reduce tension and encourage natural spine mobilisation,' Gale explains. Exercise two: Knee rolls Sets: 3 Repetitions: 5-10 each side Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Extend your arms out to your sides in a T-shape for support. Keep your shoulders flat on the ground throughout. Slowly drop both knees to one side, rotating through your spine and hips. Hold this position for five to 10 seconds, lift your knees back up to return to the starting position, then drop them to the other side. Benefits 'Knee rolls can help reduce stiffness in the lower back and hips,' says Gale. 'Engage the core muscles gently to support spinal control and improve spinal rotation and flexibility. It also promotes relaxation and stress relief through rhythmic movement.' Lie on your back on a yoga mat with your arms extended towards the ceiling. Engage your core by gently tightening your belly button down towards your spine, flatten your back against the floor and find engagement through your pelvic floor. Keeping your core engaged, lift your legs so your thighs are vertical and your knees are bent at a right angle. Slowly lower your right arm and extend your left leg towards the floor, keeping your back flat. Return to the starting position, then repeat with the opposite arm and leg. 'If your lower back lifts off the floor, reduce the range of motion [how far you lower your arms and legs] until your core is stronger,' Gale advises. Benefits 'This exercise helps to build core stability without stressing the spine,' Gale says. 'It encourages the correct movement patterns between the limbs and core, strengthens the deep abdominal muscles that support your lower back, and also helps improve coordination and neuromuscular control, reducing your risk of injury.'