Latest news with #Chin-Hong
Calgary Herald
2 days ago
- Health
- Calgary Herald
'Swallowing razor blades': What to know about the painful symptom linked to latest COVID strain
Article content The World Health Organization recently designated NB.1.8.1 as a variant under monitoring. The strain, nicknamed 'Nimbus,' has reportedly been causing extremely painful sort throats in those who have been infected with it. Article content Cases of the Nimbus variant have been rising. It has been detected in 22 countries as of May 18 and made up 10.7 per cent of the global COVID samples taken in late April, WHO said. That was considered a 'significant rise in prevalence' since it only made up 2.5 per cent of global COVID samples four weeks prior. However, WHO deemed the overall risk of Nimbus to be low. Article content Article content 'While not specific to COVID-19,' he said, 'this expression has been used to describe sore throat symptoms in some patients with the most recent COVID-19 variant.' Article content It has been described by some as 'akin to swallowing shattered glass or razor blades,' news network NTD reported. Article content Article content However, infectious disease specialist at University of California San Francisco Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, told the San Francisco Chronicle that a sore throat from COVID is 'not novel at all.' Article content 'There has been a range of intensity of sore throat with COVID symptoms all along, including very severe pain,' said Chin-Hong. Article content Other symptoms of COVID include runny nose, new or worsening cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fever, chills, fatigue or weakness, muscle or body aches, new loss of smell or taste, headache, abdominal pain, diarrhea and vomiting. Article content Article content This particular strain 'isn't too different from the Omicron variant, but it does have some tweaks to its spike protein,' according to general practitioner from private healthcare centre Pall Mall Medical in the United Kingdom Dr. Chun Tang, The Independent reported. That means it could 'spread a bit more easily or slip past some of our existing immunity.'
3 days ago
- Health
What to know about COVID variant NB.1.8.1 causing 'razor blade throat'
A newer COVID-19 variant may be causing a severe sore throat in some people who contract the infection. The variant, known as NB.1.8.1, has been nicknamed by some as "razor blade throat" due to the painful symptom. Data from the open global genome sequencing database GISAID shows the new variant has been detected in several states, including New York, Illinois, Texas and California. Public health experts told ABC News there is no cause for serious concern yet because the virus does not appear to be more severe than previous variants and there are steps that can be taken to protect yourself. What is NB 1.8.1? NB.1.8.1 derives from the recombinant variant XVD.1.5.1, which is a descendant of the omicron variant. The first sample of NB.1.8.1 was collected on Jan. 22, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). It was first detected in China and other parts of Asia before spreading to Europe. It was designated as a "variant under monitoring" by the WHO, meaning it may require prioritized attention and monitoring but is not as serious as a "variant of interest" or a "variant of concern." As of the week ending June 7, NB.1.8.1 is the second most dominant variant in the U.S., accounting for an estimated 37% of cases, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The virus appears to be more transmissible because there appear to be changes to the spike protein, which is what the virus uses to attach to and infect cells, said Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, a professor of medicine and infectious disease specialist at the University of California, San Francisco. It also seems to attach more easily to ACE2 receptors, which are proteins found on the surface of cells and how the virus that causes COVID enters cells, he told ABC News. NB.1.8.1 doesn't yet appear to be causing increases in cases or in hospitalizations with rates remaining "stable" so far, according to Chin-Hong. The variant has also been called "Nimbus," which appears to have been coined on X by T. Ryan Gregory, a Canadian professor of evolutionary biology. "Nimbus is a catchy, quick name, and it also includes an 'N' and a 'B' from the lineage, which is NB.1.8.1. So it's easier for people to be able to say these monikers for COVID, rather than remember the actual lineage," said Dr. Alok Potel, a pediatrician at Stanford Children's Health and an ABC News contributor. "But I think it's important also because it keeps people paying attention to new COVID variants that can be different in terms of infectivity and in terms of spread," he added. What are the symptoms? Experts said they are not sure if the painful sore throat is just a symptom that people are talking about or a distinctive symptom of this variant. It's also unclear if the "razor blade throat" is more common in those who are more up to date on vaccination compared to those who are not up to date. "I think it's certainly amongst the spectrum of symptoms that you can get, and we know that sore throat is reported by about 70% of patients now with COVID, so it's not unusual, and like with everything in medicine, there's always a spectrum," Chin-Hong said. There is currently no evidence that NB.1.8.1. causes more severe disease or is more likely to cause hospitalization, according to Dr. William Schaffner, a professor of preventive medicine at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, "But of course, there are people in high-risk groups that are still at risk of being hospitalized should they become infected," he told ABC News. There are no other symptoms outlined that are specific to NB.1.8.1 by the CDC. Symptoms listed by the health agency still include sore throat, cough, fever, chills, shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, congestion, runny nose, loss of taste or smell, fatigue, muscle aches, body aches, headache, nausea, vomiting or diarrhea. How to protect yourself The experts recommend that high-risk Americans receive a vaccine twice a year as recommended by the CDC. The CDC also currently recommends most adults aged 18 and older receive an updated 2024-2025 vaccine and that parents of children between ages 6 months to 17 years discuss the benefits of vaccination with a health care provider. COVID-19 also tends to spike in the late summer and early fall, so people should consider opening windows to increase ventilation, wearing a mask in certain situations and avoiding crowded areas, Schaffner said. "Time to stream a movie, as I like to say, rather than going to the movies," he added. Patel said it's important to practice good hygiene such as proper hand-washing and covering your mouth when coughing or sneezing. He also recommended that people test if they are symptomatic and said over-the-counter rapid at-home tests work. "Getting infected with COVID and other infectious diseases is not necessarily life or death, but it can still be very debilitating." Patel said. "It can cause people to miss work, to spread the virus, to get people who are higher risk sick and there's still an untold amount of people who have long COVID." He added, "So, we don't want to look at COVID as just another common cold, because there's still so much we're learning about it, and there's still so many possibilities with this virus continuing to mutate, if we let it."
San Francisco Chronicle
12-06-2025
- Health
- San Francisco Chronicle
New COVID variant linked to painful ‘razor blade throat' symptom
As summer brings another rise in COVID-19 infections, patients across Asia, Europe and North America are reporting a searing sore throat so intense it has earned a dramatic nickname: ' razor blade throat.' Though not a new symptom, the phenomenon has gained fresh attention amid the spread of a fast-moving Omicron subvariant, formally known as NB.1.8.1 and colloquially as 'Nimbus.' Patients in China and elsewhere describe the pain as akin to 'swallowing shattered glass,' with some saying they've been left unable to speak, eat, or even stay hydrated. 'Post-COVID razor blade throat is brutal — swollen, painful, and I can barely speak,' one user wrote on Weibo, China's leading social media platform, according to Chinese-language media. Another said, 'I've been hit with razor blade throat and feel completely drained.' Despite the visceral nickname, health experts emphasize that the symptom is not unique to this latest wave. 'Sore throat is a common symptom of COVID and not novel at all, and not associated with any one variant, including NB.1.8.1,' said Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, an infectious disease specialist at UCSF. 'There has been a range of intensity of sore throat with COVID symptoms all along, including very severe pain.' He noted that up to 70% of people infected with COVID-19 report a sore throat. Other common symptoms include fatigue, mild cough, fever, muscle aches, and congestion — all consistent with earlier strains of the virus. 'Current data do not indicate that this variant leads to more severe illness than other variants in circulation,' according to the World Health Organization, which last month designated NB.1.8.1 as a SARS-CoV-2 ' variant under monitoring.' The agency noted, however, that the subvariant appears more immune-evasive than the dominant LP.8.1 lineage. In China, where the current wave began in March, cases are expected to peak by late June. The NB.1.8.1 variant has since been detected in over 20 countries, including the United Kingdom and the United States, with early outbreaks noted in California, Washington and New York. Last month, an average of about 250 people died each week from COVID-19, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Doctors continue to urge the public to stay up to date on vaccinations and take precautions, especially those in high-risk groups. 'To me, it is a reminder that even if you don't end up in urgent care or in the hospital, COVID can still make you very sick in 2025,' Chin-Hong said. 'As the summer approaches, we will likely see another wave of infections, likely fueled by variants like NB.1.8.1. Wastewater is already showing a bump in some areas in California and the US.' With COVID-19 expected to remain a persistent — if more manageable — presence, health officials continue to emphasize a familiar message: masks, handwashing, vaccination, and staying home when sick remain the best defense, razor blade throat or not. For those experiencing severe throat pain, Chin-Hong recommends over-the-counter treatments like ibuprofen or acetaminophen.
Scientific American
10-06-2025
- Health
- Scientific American
Can You Still Get a COVID Vaccine This Fall? Here's What to Know
For the first time since the COVID vaccines became available in pharmacies in 2021, the average person in the U.S. can't count on getting a free annual shot against a disease that has been the main or a contributing cause of death for more than 1.2 million people around the country, including nearly 12,000 to date this year. 'COVID's not done with us,' says Jennifer Nuzzo, an epidemiologist at Brown University. 'We have to keep using the tools that we have. It's not like we get to forget about COVID.' In recent weeks, the Department of Health and Human Services, led by prominent antivaccine activist Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., has announced a barrage of measures that are likely to reduce COVID vaccine access, leading to a swirl of confusion about what will be available for the 2025–2026 season. HHS officials did not respond to a request for comment for this article. On supporting science journalism If you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today. Government officials appear to be limiting COVID shots to people who are aged 65 and older and to those who have certain preexisting health conditions—groups that have long been known to face a higher risk of developing severe COVID. Pregnant people and some children, meanwhile, appear to be explicitly excluded from access, despite plentiful evidence that vaccines are very safe and effective for them and that COVID infections can cause them significant harm. Scientific American spoke with clinicians and public health experts about the latest COVID vaccine recommendations, what access may look like this fall and how these policies might influence people's vaccination choices and health. What COVID vaccines will be manufactured this year? Public health experts are monitoring a strain of the COVID-causing virus SARS-CoV-2 called NB.1.8.1, which was first detected early this year and last month became responsible for one in 10 COVID cases globally. So far, the new variant has mostly been reported in Asia and Europe. But it has also been picked up in airport surveillance in multiple U.S. states, says Peter Chin-Hong, an infectious disease physician and a professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco. The emergence of a new variant isn't surprising, particularly at this time of year, Chin-Hong says. 'It's kind of acting like clockwork—maybe this might be the variant of the summer,' he adds. Still, NB.1.8.1 has led to concerns about a potential surge in cases—although Chin-Hong and other scientists don't have any evidence so far that it causes more serious disease than other currently circulating strains. 'All of these new variants, they might be more transmissible, they might be more immune evasive, but I've seen no data whatsoever that suggests that they're more pathogenic,' says Angela Rasmussen, a virologist at the University of Saskatchewan. Within the U.S., a strain called LP.8.1 has been the most common one detected since March. Both NB.1.8.1 and LP.8.1 are among the alphabet soup of strains that descended from a key ancestor lineage called Omicron JN.1, which dominated U.S. cases by early 2024. Current vaccines target this category of strains. And in May a Food and Drug Administration panel determined that, this year, vaccine producers should again tailor their shots to a single strain within the JN.1 lineage—preferably LP.8.1. What's going on with COVID vaccine policy? Strain selection aside, the recent messaging and decision-making on vaccine policy for COVID and beyond have been chaotic, with various governmental groups and officials announcing different access guidelines and restrictions. 'The situation we're in right now is nuts,' says Nuzzo, referring to the fact that agency leaders have sidestepped the formal science committees that traditionally make vaccine-related decisions. 'We don't change vaccine policy on a willy-nilly basis. There's an incredible amount of nuance, and all of the data need to be considered.' But on June 9 Kennedy took a major step against this evidence-driven decision-making process by firing the entire CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). Kennedy announced the committee rehaul in a Wall Street Journal op-ed, in which he alleged there were 'persistent conflicts of interest' among committee members. According to a recent HHS statement, new committee members are under consideration, and the group will still meet as scheduled from June 25 to 27. ACIP has traditionally been particularly important because any vaccine it recommends must be fully paid for by health insurance companies—a condition that greatly determines real-world access. It's unclear what the committee's overhaul will mean for COVID vaccine access in particular. Another concern is that Kennedy announced in late April that HHS would implement a policy requiring all 'new' vaccines—including updated versions of existing ones, such as COVID shots—to be tested against a placebo. The original COVID vaccines were tested in just this manner. But conducting similar tests when an effective and very safe vaccine already exists would be not only unethical for researchers but also expensive and time-consuming for manufacturers. It remains unclear when the new policy will take effect. What does this mean for COVID vaccine access this fall? If you are 65 years old or older, you should be able to get a COVID shot as you have in recent years. If you have an underlying condition such as cancer, diabetes, or heart or lung problems, you may also be able to get a COVID shot as usual. These issues and several others are on the CDC's list of conditions that leave people more vulnerable to severe disease, and this list is included in the description of the new regulatory framework. One 2021 study looked at many (but not all) of the conditions on the list and estimated that three in four U.S. adults has at least one. People are allowed to self-disclose a preexisting condition at pharmacies without a prescription or doctor's note. That list could also be expanded later if new research finds other risk factors that increase people's risk of severe COVID, says Jacinda Abdul-Mutakabbir, a clinical pharmacist and an assistant professor at the University of California, San Diego. But there's also a chance that qualifying conditions may be reduced instead. For example, current or recent pregnancy is included in the CDC's existing list, but HHS officials announced in late May that the COVID vaccine would no longer be recommended for pregnant people. Data have shown that COVID may cause various complications during pregnancy —increasing the risk that the pregnant person may require emergency care, be put on a ventilator or die. The newborn child of an infected person is also more likely to be born preterm or to have low birth weight. And babies younger than six months old—who are ineligible for vaccination because of their immature immune system—have the highest rates COVID hospitalization after adults aged 75 and older. In contrast, evidence from people vaccinated during pregnancy show that newborns receive protective immunity through antibodies that cross the placenta and are found in breast milk, Chin-Hong explains. Healthy children also face new restrictions to COVID vaccine access: The shot is now only recommended to them based on 'shared clinical decision-making,' according to the vaccine schedules released by the CDC last month. This means parents must consult with a health practitioner about whether to vaccinate such children. Experts worry about the consequences of restricting access for kids. Children under age 18 make up a smaller percentage of COVID hospitalizations and deaths. But that doesn't mean zero risk, Chin-Hong says. 'We know that COVID still kills kids,' he says. 'No death of a child is a good death—and these are all preventable.' 'Because children and pregnant people are considered vulnerable populations, they were not included in the original studies that were done for the COVID vaccines,' Abdul-Mutakabbir says. But five years' worth of real-world vaccine data from these groups show the health benefits. 'We do see effectiveness and safety in these vaccines,' she says. It's still possible that the late June ACIP meeting will shift the landscape again. But if you want a COVID vaccine this fall and don't meet current guidelines, you may still be able to request a shot. Your insurance may not pay for it, however, leaving you to risk a price tag of around $200. 'Insurance companies or providers are only required to pay for vaccines that are listed as recommended by the CDC,' Abdul-Mutakabbir says. Full, partial or no-cost coverage for nonrecommended vaccines is at the insurance provider's discretion. Any changes to coverage—and the times at which those changes are announced—will vary among programs, including private and governmental ones, such as the federal-state program Medicaid and the federal program Medicare. Until then, Chin-Hong and Abdul-Mutakabbir say, the COVID vaccines released in the fall of 2024 are still recommended and available to people who haven't already had one. And as of April 26, only 23 percent of adults and 13 percent of children in the U.S. had received the shot. 'If you are nervous about the surge or planning summer travel, I would recommend' getting the vaccine, Abdul-Mutakabbir says. The larger fight over vaccines For Rasmussen, the confusion over COVID shots signals the beginning of a longer tug-of-war—with Kennedy's HHS on one end. 'I think I know what their plan is, and it's to reduce access to vaccines in general,' she says. 'In my view, this is an incremental step in a larger attack on vaccination in general.' She encourages people worried about vaccine restrictions—and about the role of science in making these decisions—to call their congressional legislators. 'A lot of people speaking out is what is needed right now to make a big difference here,' she says. Abdul-Mutakabbir also hopes people continue to seek vaccines for COVID and other diseases—especially while they are still easily available. 'It's important that we consider the things that we can protect ourselves against,' Abdul-Mutakabbir says. 'Should you have a barrier with getting a COVID vaccine, guess what? There's no change to the flu vaccine; there's no changes to the pneumococcal recommendations; there's no change to measles, mumps, rubella vaccine. Get the vaccines that we can get.'
23-05-2025
- Health
What we know about the safety, efficacy of mRNA vaccines amid recent scrutiny
Over the last several days, the safety and efficacy of messenger RNA, or mRNA, vaccines have come under intense scrutiny. On Tuesday, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced plans to limit access to future COVID-19 shots -- two of which are mRNA vaccines -- to those aged 65 and older or with high-risk conditions. The agency will require further scientific trials to greenlight the shots for younger age groups. The agency also sent letters to both Moderna and Pfizer last month telling them to expand the warning labels on their mRNA COVID-19 vaccines to broaden the people who may be impacted by the risk of heart inflammation as a possible side effect. Infectious disease experts told ABC News that mRNA and mRNA vaccines have been studied for decades, the vaccines are safe and effective, and that the shots were instrumental in saving lives during the COVID-19 pandemic. 'Here's the bottom line: mRNA vaccines for COVID, according to estimates from Yale School of Public Health, saved 3.2 million lives,' Dr. Peter Hotez, a professor of pediatrics and molecular virology at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, told ABC News. 'So instead of 1.2 million Americans who lost their life because of COVID, it would have been a 4.4 million,' he added. 'So, I think it's unfortunate that anti-vaccine activists target mRNA vaccines like they do, but it is a good technology.' What is mRNA? mRNA was discovered independently by two teams in 1961 including French and American molecular biologists. Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, a professor of medicine and infectious disease specialist at the University of California, San Francisco, said breakthroughs in developing mRNA vaccines began in the early 2000s, eventually leading to the development of COVID-19 vaccines in 2020. While most vaccines use a weakened or inactivated virus to stimulate an immune response, mRNA vaccines teach the body how to make proteins that can trigger an immune response and fight off an infection. 'The way that it works is that it doesn't even go into the nucleus [of the cell]. It enters the outside of the cytoplasm, or the watery substance outside of the nucleus, and basically instructs the cell to make proteins,' Chin-Hong told ABC News. 'But most importantly, it self-destructs in matter, at the most days, and it dies.' He continued, 'So mRNA goes away, but the products which are the most important thing -- the proteins and antibodies -- remain, and that's why we get protection.' Chin-Hong also addressed another piece of misinformation that has circulated, implying that mRNA vaccines could alter DNA in the nucleus. 'Ou cells can't convert mRNA to DNA because the mRNA doesn't enter the DNA, which is in the nucleus,' he added. How do we know it's safe? Chin-Hong said that during the large-scale clinical trials for COVID-19 mRNA vaccines, in 2020 more than 70,000 people were involved in the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna trials combined. Additionally, 37,000 people were involved in Moderna's clinical trials for its RSV vaccine, Chin-Hong said. Researchers found that side effects -- including fever, arm pain and swelling at the injection site -- for the COVID-19 mRNA were like those of traditional, non-RNA vaccines and they had short-term efficacy rates of more than 90%. Additional studies have found that booster safety was consistent with safety reported for primary vaccination. 'There are all these databases that are used to follow reports of people, not only in this country, they experience using vaccines, but also in other countries, many other countries as well,' Chin-Hing said. 'There have been multiple studies since 2020 showing there's no impact in fertility, stroke, all the things that people have worried about.' Hotez said no vaccine technology is perfect, including mRNA technology, but it has its advantages such as being able to be designed more quickly traditional vaccines, allowing them to be deployed quicker. He disagrees with the FDA decision to limit future COVID-19 vaccine shots because COVID has long-term consequences such as long COVID and delayed cardiovascular disease. 'I think there are many younger adults, or those under the age of 65, who are concerned enough about long COVID or downstream heart disease to want to have to be able to get the mRNA vaccine,' he said. What about myocarditis? Questions have swirled around how myocarditis, which is inflammation of the heart muscle, occurs after COVID-19 vaccination. Myocarditis can cause arrhythmias, which are rapid or abnormal heartbeats. It can also cause the heart muscle to weaken, resulting in cardiomyopathy, which affects the heart's ability to pump blood effectively. Cases of myocarditis and pericarditis -- inflammation of the sac that contains the heart -- have been observed rarely after COVID vaccination, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. When they have rarely occurred, it has been among young adult males, typically between ages 18 and 29, within seven days after receiving the second dose of an mRNA COVID vaccine, the agency says. The FDA, in asking the vaccine companies to expand their warning labels, cited 'new safety information' -- data from one of the agency's safety surveillance systems and a study published in October that followed people who developed myocarditis linked to COVID vaccines. Chin-Hong said the risk of myocarditis is much higher after COVID-19 compared to after vaccination, and that contracting COVID itself is higher. 'The risk of COVID is much higher in general. If you look at it, 22 to 31 cases per million [among] 18 to 29 years old as an example,' he said. 'At the time when these vaccines are used very often in that group is 1,500 per million. So, you're talking about 22 to 31 per million versus 1.500 per million.'
