Latest news with #NB1.8.1
The Independent
4 hours ago
- Health
- The Independent
Malaysia records first Covid death of 2025
Malaysia saw its first Covid death of 2025 earlier this month, health authorities said. The health ministry noted that this was the first Covid fatality since 26 May last year. The deceased had heart disease and diabetes and hadn't taken a second booster shot. 'This marks a significant decline compared to 57 Covid deaths reported in 2024, with the last fatality recorded on May 26 last year,' the ministry said in a statement on Thursday. From January to 15 June this year, Malaysia recorded 21,738 cumulative Covid cases, with the weekly average holding at about 900, The Rakyat Post reported. The ministry reported a sharp 68 per cent week-on-week increase with 3,379 cases from 8 to 15 June compared to 2,011 the week prior. Despite the rise, the ministry stressed the national situation remained stable and well below the alert threshold. At least six individuals with underlying health conditions had been admitted to ICU. 'All cases were closely monitored with care, with all patients discharged from the ICUs. Four were allowed to return home, with two transferred to normal wards,' the ministry said. The new Nimbus Covid strain (NB.1.8.1) is rapidly spreading around the world and is being closely monitored by the World Health Organisation. This strain is linked to a rise in infections in several parts of Asia, including India, Hong Kong, Thailand, and Singapore. First recognised in January 2025, NB.1.8.1, an omicron variant, is now the dominant variant in China and Hong Kong. It has also spread to the US and Australia. ' SARS-CoV-2 continues to evolve, and between January and May 2025, there were shifts in global SARS-CoV-2 variant dynamics,' a WHO spokesperson said earlier. 'At the beginning of the year, the most prevalent variant tracked by WHO at the global level was XEC, followed by KP.3.1.1. In February, circulation of XEC began to decline while that of LP.8.1 increased, with the latter becoming the most detected variant in mid-March. Since mid-April, the circulation of LP.8.1 has been slightly declining as NB.1.8.1 is increasingly being detected.' By late April, NB.1.8.1 comprised about 10.7 per cent of submitted sequences globally, according to the WHO, up from just 2.5 per cent a month before. The WHO has designated Nimbus as a Variant Under Monitoring. Preliminary data suggests that Nimbus spreads more rapidly than earlier variants. Reported symptoms commonly include a sharp, razor-like sore throat, fatigue, mild cough, fever, muscle aches, and nasal congestion. However, the public health risk posed by this variant is evaluated as low at the global level. 'Despite a concurrent increase in cases and hospitalisations in some countries where NB.1.8.1 is widespread, current data don't indicate that this variant leads to more severe illness than other variants in circulation,' the WHO said. Although it may not be particularly severe, Nimbus may infect people more easily than earlier variants. There's some evidence that the variant binds more tightly to human cells. The ministry of health urged all Malaysians to stay protected by adhering to the recommended vaccination schedules outlined in the National Immunisation Programme.
Yahoo
18 hours ago
- Health
- Yahoo
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. MORE: Why are more than 300 people in the US still dying from COVID every week? 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. 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. MORE: What we still don't know about COVID 5 years after the WHO declared a pandemic 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, MORE: 5 years ago, the WHO declared COVID a pandemic. Here's a look at the disease by the numbers "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. 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."
18 hours 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."
CNN
a day ago
- Health
- CNN
A new Covid-19 variant is spreading. Here's what you need to know
Respiratory viruses VaccinesFacebookTweetLink Follow Get inspired by a weekly roundup on living well, made simple. Sign up for CNN's Life, But Better newsletter for information and tools designed to improve your well-being. A new coronavirus variant is spreading in many parts of the world. The variant, NB.1.8.1, has been identified as the cause of Covid-19 resurgence in China and several other Asian countries. Experts in Europe are predicting a possible increase in cases there. A summer wave also could occur in the United States. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, NB.1.8.1 already represents about one-third of new Covid-19 cases as of June 7. This is a significant increase from just a month before, when the new variant represented just 5% of new Covid-19 cases. Could another summer wave really occur? Do current vaccines still work, and if so, who should consider getting another dose now? And what precautions should people take to reduce their risk of contracting Covid-19? To help us with these questions, I spoke with CNN wellness expert Dr. Leana Wen, an emergency physician and clinical associate professor at the George Washington University. Wen previously served as Baltimore's health commissioner. CNN: What should people know about the new variant? Wen: The SARS-CoV-2 virus is constantly mutating, and it's entirely expected that there will be new variants. The more opportunities the virus is given to spread, the more opportunities it has to mutate. Every time a new variant arises that appears to be outcompeting previous strains, it's important to ask three questions: Is it causing more severe disease, is it more contagious, and do existing vaccines still work against it? This new variant, NB.1.8.1, also called Nimbus, is a descendant of the Omicron strain. The World Health Organization has deemed the new strain a 'variant under monitoring.' However, WHO also reports that surveillance data do not show that it has increased severity compared with previously circulating variants. Given that this strain is outcompeting previous variants, it's possible that it could be more contagious, but there is nothing to suggest that it is being spread differently compared with past variants. As for whether existing vaccines work against this variant, the answer is not known. WHO cites laboratory data showing that it could have some immune escape, which means it may be less responsive to the immunity provided by vaccines or prior infection and suggesting a possible reduction in vaccine efficacy. At the same time, NB.1.8.1 is a close descendant of other strains against which the vaccines have efficacy. I expect there will be more data available in the coming weeks, as federal health officials will soon decide the formulation of this fall's updated Covid-19 vaccine. Knowing that NB.1.8.1 constitutes a growing proportion of cases, they will most likely try to ensure that the formulation has efficacy again this variant. CNN: What are symptoms of N.B.1.8.1 infection? Wen: The symptoms appear to be similar to infection with other variants. There is a large range of symptoms and severity. Some patients may have allergy-like symptoms, such as stuffy and runny nose. Others may have cold- or flulike symptoms, with fever, sore throat, fatigue, headache and muscle or body aches. Some people may develop cough and difficulty breathing. Some may have nausea, vomiting or diarrhea. While most people will recover, some could become severely ill and require hospitalization. Some individuals who contract Covid-19 may also develop the post-viral condition known as long Covid. CNN: Could another summer wave really happen again? Wen: Yes. It could be triggered by a new variant that's more contagious and that has some degree of immune escape. A wave also could occur simply because of declining population immunity. Some experts believe that the emergence of this new strain combined with less recent Covid-19 activity could start a wave in the next couple of months. What we have seen from several years of experience with Covid-19 is that infections tend to come in waves. A surge in cases leads to many people falling ill, then recovering and developing short-term immunity to infection. Infection rates decline for several months, then they begin to increase again. Summer waves of Covid-19 have occurred over the past few years. It's certainly possible that the pattern repeats this year. CNN: Who should consider getting the vaccine now instead of waiting for the fall formulation? Wen: This is a difficult question to answer because the landscape around Covid-19 vaccination has been changing. Just last month, US Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced that Covid-19 shots are no longer recommended for healthy children and pregnant women. These shots appear to still be accessible for children; for instance, the CDC's guidance now reads that children can get the shots after consulting with their health care provider. However, there are already reports of pregnant women having more difficulty obtaining these vaccines. This and other guidance could soon change, as Kennedy has reconstituted the panel of external experts who advise the CDC on vaccine recommendations, and this new panel could make different decisions during their upcoming meeting in late June. Another uncertainty is when a new round of vaccines will be made available. One way to approach this decision is to consider your risk of severe outcomes if you were to contract Covid-19. Those who are 65 and over or who have chronic underlying medical conditions should consider getting another dose of the vaccine now, if they are eligible. That way, they have additional protection in case there is a summer wave, since the existing vaccine probably retains some efficacy against the new variant. And they can still get another dose in the fall when the new formulation will presumably be released. As for those who are younger and generally healthy, some who have not yet received the 2024-25 formulation also may consider getting the vaccine now before guidelines change and they may no longer be eligible. People should discuss their specific medical situations with their primary care physician. CNN: What precautions should people consider to reduce their risk of contracting this variant? Wen: The same precautions we've been discussing throughout the Covid-19 pandemic still apply. This is a respiratory virus that could be airborne, so be on guard, particularly in crowded indoor settings. People who are especially vulnerable to severe disease should try to avoid these settings. If they need to go into, say, a crowded train station, they should consider wearing a well-fitting N95 or equivalent mask. Those people visiting vulnerable individuals may wish to avoid higher-risk settings in the days before the visit to reduce the chance of spreading not only Covid-19 but also other respiratory illnesses.
The Independent
a day ago
- Health
- The Independent
What is new ‘Nimbus' Covid variant? Symptoms as cases grow in UK
Covid-19 is once again making headlines more than five years after the initial outbreak, with a new variant spreading in the UK and several countries across the globe. The new strain, named NB.1.8.1 and also known as 'Nimbus', now accounts for just over 10 per cent of global infections, with cases now confirmed in England and Northern Ireland. While there is no evidence that the new strain causes more severe symptoms, experts believe that it in can infect cells more efficiently and can trigger gastrointestinal symptoms such as diarrhoea, constipation and nausea. Since first being recognised in January 2025, the omicron variant has spread to several states across the US, Australia, Thailand and is the most dominant variant in China and Hong Kong. What is 'Nimbus' NB.1.8.1? The World Health Organisation has designated the NB.1.8.1 as a 'variant under monitoring', and comprises around 10.7 per cent of all submitted sequences. A WHO spokesperson said: " SARS-CoV-2 continues to evolve, and between January and May 2025, there were shifts in global SARS-CoV-2 variant dynamics. At the beginning of the year, the most prevalent variant tracked by WHO at the global level was XEC, followed by KP.3.1.1. "In February, circulation of XEC began to decline while that of LP.8.1 increased, with the latter becoming the most detected variant in mid-March. Since mid-April, the circulation of LP.8.1 has been slightly declining as NB.1.8.1 is increasingly being detected." While it first appeared in samples at the beginning of this year, data from GISAID, a global data of genetic sequences of major disease-causing viruses, show that the first known cases were registered at the end of April. What are the symptoms? While evidence has suggested that NB.1.8.1 may spread more easily than other variants, the WHO has not observed any signs that it has an increase in severity. "Data indicates that NB.1.8.1 does not lead to more severe illness compared to previous variants, although it appears to have a growth advantage, suggesting it may spread more easily," Subhash Verma, a professor of microbiology and immunology at the University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine, told CBS News. "In other words, it is more transmissible." Common symptoms align with typical Omicron subvariants and include fatigue, fever and muscle aches. Dr Naveed Asif, GP at the London General Practice, warned the variant also has a distinctive symptom, a severe sore throat known as 'razor blade' throat, causing a sharp stabbing pain when you swallow, often at the back of the throat. So far, cases have been recorded in England, Northern Ireland and Wales, as well as in popular British tourist hotspots overseas. However, given the dwindling numbers of people testing for Covid-19, it has become increasingly difficult to know the true number of infections. Why has there been a global surge in cases? The 'Nimbus' variant, as it has been dubbed, does appear to be more transmissible than previous strains, with notable increases reported in India, Hong Kong, Singapore and Thailand. 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.' Do the Covid vaccines work against NB.1.8.1?
