New Covid Variant Causes Sore Throat That Feels Like 'Razor Blades'
A new variant of the virus that causes Covid-19 is circulating, and is believed to be more contagious than previous mutations
The variant, NB.1.8.1, has been informally dubbed "Nimbus," and causes a severe sore throat that's been likened to "razor blades"
This latest mutation has been called a "strong candidate for the summer surge" of Covid casesA new variant of the virus that causes Covid-19 has already caused a surge in cases in Asia — and its signature symptom is a severe sore throat that feels like 'razor blades.'
Covid variant NB.1.8.1 — which has informally been dubbed 'Nimbus' — is being monitored by the World Health Organization as this latest mutation of the wildly contagious virus already makes up more than 10% of cases in Asia, Salon reports, adding that it's now been detected in the United States, Europe, and Canada.
The variant has a high 'immune evasion, supporting its potential for future dominance,' according to a pre-print study that has not yet been peer-reviewed.
This strain, Salon reports, causes 'razor blade throat,' or a severe sore throat; Other symptoms include traditional flu-like symptoms like congestion, fatigue, a mild cough, fever, and muscle aches, and more infrequently diarrhea and nausea, The Independent reports.
Per that outlet, WHO says global risk is 'currently low, and existing Covid-19 vaccines are considered effective in preventing severe disease.' But as Dr. Rajendram Rajnarayanan, of the New York Institute of Technology, told Salon, 'NB.1.8.1 is a strong candidate for the summer surge.'
'I know that everybody wants to forget about this disease, but it's not going to allow us to,' Dr. Janko Nikolich, Professor and Chair of the Department of Immunobiology at the University of Arizona College of Medicine said, according to ABC Action News.
The news comes amid the Trump administration, under Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., rolling back Covid vaccine recommendations for children and pregnant women.
Newborn babies are better protected against the virus if their mother receives the vaccine, Dr. Steven J. Fleischman, president of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, said in a statement, per NPR.
"The science has not changed," he said. "It is very clear that COVID infection during pregnancy can be catastrophic and lead to major disability."
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Like Kennedy, few of these new appointees to the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practice, or ACIP, have openly embraced the notion that they are anti-vaccine. But among them are individuals who have spoken out against COVID vaccines and policies, claimed vaccine injuries for their own children, and falsely linked COVID shots to deaths—or even baselessly accused those vaccines of ' causing a form of acquired immunity deficiency syndrome.' In January, I wrote that remaking the committee in exactly this way would be an especially harmful blow to Americans' health: Perhaps more than any other body of experts in the U.S., ACIP guides the nation's future preparedness against infectious disease. By appointing a committee that is poised to legitimize more of his own radical views, Kennedy is giving his skewed version of scientific reality the government's imprimatur. Whether he will admit to it or not, he is serving the most core goal of the anti-vaccine movement—eroding access to, and trust in, immunization. In an emailed statement, Health and Human Services Press Secretary Emily G. Hilliard reiterated that 'Secretary Kennedy is not anti-vaccine—he is pro-safety, pro-transparency, and pro-accountability,' and added that his 'evidence-based approach puts accountability and radical transparency first, which will restore trust in our public health system.' (Kennedy, notably, promised Senator Bill Cassidy during his confirmation process that he would maintain ACIP, as Cassidy put it, 'without changes.') Since the 1960s, ACIP has lent government policy on vaccines the clout of scientific evidence. 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The committee also developed step-by-step guidelines for who should get vaccinated first, based on how likely people were to catch the virus, their risk of serious disease, the type of work they did and whether they came from a population that was historically underserved or at higher risk. It also issued tailored guidance for pregnant and breastfeeding women, immunocompromised people and children and adolescents as more trial data became available. These recommendations shaped vaccine rollout strategies at both national and state levels, guided insurance coverage and influenced COVID-19 vaccination policies in other countries around the world. Although Kennedy promised more transparency, he handpicked the advisory committee's new members without revealing how they were selected. Historically, the body's members are selected after an extensive vetting process that can take two years. 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This means families could face out-of-pocket costs, making it harder for children to access routine immunizations. The advisory committee also plays a key role in shaping the U.S. childhood vaccine schedule. Given Kennedy's long-held skepticism about childhood vaccines — including those for measles and polio — some public health experts worry that the newly appointed members could push to revisit or revise vaccine recommendations, especially for newer and more debated vaccines like those for COVID-19 or HPV. States usually base their school entry vaccine requirements on the committee's guidelines, and insurers often use them to determine which vaccines are covered. As a result, shifts in policy to childhood vaccinations could influence both school vaccination mandates and access to vaccines for millions of children. This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit, independent news organization bringing you facts and trustworthy analysis to help you make sense of our complex world. It was written by: Santosh Kumar Gautam, University of Notre Dame Read more: RFK Jr. says annual COVID-19 shots no longer advised for healthy children and pregnant women – a public health expert explains the new guidance Unverified reports of vaccine side effects in VAERS aren't the smoking guns portrayed by right-wing media outlets – they can offer insight into vaccine hesitancy Vaccine misinformation distorts science – a biochemist explains how RFK Jr. and his lawyer's claims threaten public health Santosh Kumar Gautam does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
