New nimbus covid variant detected
Image credit: cdc via Unsplash
California is now reporting cases of the emerging COVID‑19 subvariant NB.1.8.1, also known as "Nimbus." While the variant appears more transmissible, it doesn’t seem to cause more severe illness than previous strains. Common signs mirror those of earlier COVID‑19 variants, including sore throat, cough, fever, fatigue, muscle aches, and congestion, but a standout symptom reported in some cases is a "razor‑blade" sore throat described as intensely painful.
Source
Uriu K, Okumura K, Uwamino Y, Chen L, Tolentino JE, Asakura H, Nagashima M, Sadamasu K, Yoshimura K, Ito J, Sato K; Genotype to Phenotype Japan (G2P-Japan) Consortium. Virological characteristics of the SARS-CoV-2 NB.1.8.1 variant. Lancet Infect Dis. 2025 Aug;25(8):e443. doi: 10.1016/S1473-3099(25)00356-1. Epub 2025 Jun 7. PMID: 40489985.
Additional Reading
https://www.today.com/health/coronavirus/stratus-covid-variant-symptoms-rcna224723
https://abcnews.go.com/Health/covid-variant-nb181-causing-razor-blade-throat/story?id=123004186