'Distinct' signs of latest Covid-19 Nimbus variant including 'razor blade throat'
The UK is grappling with the rise of a new Covid strain known as Nimbus or NB. 1.8.1. Britain has seen an increase of almost 10 per cent in Covid-related hospital admissions in the final week of May amid cautions from the World Health Organisation (WHO).
The novel strain is marked by a harrowing "razor blade throat" symptom that mimics the feeling of blades scraping your throat with every swallow — sufferers are urged to seek rest, liquids and pain relief.
Dr Naveed Asif of The London General Practice told the Independent about the unique nature of this sore throat, labelling it "distinctive" for those struck by Nimbus. On top of that, the NHS advises anyone suspecting they've caught Covid to self-isolate.
Echoing NHS guidance, the UKHSA warns: "If you have symptoms of a respiratory infection, such as Covid-19, and you have a high temperature or do not feel well enough to go to work or carry out normal activities, you should avoid contact with vulnerable people and stay at home if possible."
Speaking on the latest Covid symptoms, Doctor Mohamed Imran Lakhi of Prescription Doctor's said: 'People commonly report a severe sore throat, persistent fatigue, mild cough, fever, muscle aches, and nasal congestion.
"Some also experience digestive issues like nausea or diarrhoea, which isn't always typical with Covid variants.'
For those living with Covid and seeking further advice, including when self-isolation isn't viable, visit the Gov.uk website, reports the Mirror.
Initially detected in January, the Nimbus variant has since taken a global stage.
Nimbus has become the prevalent variant in China and constitutes a third of US cases, and is currently energising a fresh uptick in Australian infections.
A recent preprint study suggests that the so-called Nimbus variant of Covid-19 may bind to human cells more effectively, potentially allowing for easier transmission and the ability to dodge immunity from previous infections.
This research on Nimbus is awaiting peer review, but already the World Health Organisation has assured that current vaccines remain potent against this strain.
As reported by Salon, there are no indications that Nimbus is tied to increased illness severity in comparison with other variants.
University of Guelph's Dr. T. Ryan Gregory told Salon: "That said, we learned from Omicron that high transmissibility can cause as much damage as high per infection virulence and at this point it is not just acute severity that is of concern, but longer-term impacts of repeated infection."
Dr. Gregory added that spotting symptoms unique to Nimbus could be tough due to the mixing of various strains and less testing compared to peak pandemic periods.
Furthermore, Dr Gayatri Amirthalingam of UKHSA recently declared: "NB.1.8.1 has been detected in small numbers in the UK to date, but international data suggests that it is growing as a proportion of all Covid cases.
"Based on the available information so far however, there is no evidence to suggest that this variant causes more severe disease than previous variants, or that the vaccines in current use will be less effective against it."
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