Coronavirus cases update: Highly contagious COVID-19 variant NB.1.8.1 spreads to US after China...; know its symptoms
File/Representational
India's Covid-19 tally has reached 2,710 active cases, with 1,170 patients discharged, as per the Union Health Ministry. The country reported seven deaths across multiple states, with comorbidities playing a significant role in most cases, according to state-wise data. According to the Health Ministry, in Delhi, one death was reported–a 60-year-old female with acute intestinal obstruction post-laparotomy, where Covid-19 was an incidental finding.
While COVID-19 has once again made an entry into its headlines, a new COVID-19 variant called NB.1.8.1, which first emerged in China, is now spreading across the United States. Cases have been detected in states including New York, California, Washington, and Virginia. While it initially spread through international travelers, the variant is now spreading within local communities as well.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), NB.1.8.1 has been designated a SARS-CoV-2 variant under monitoring (VUM) with increasing proportions globally, while LP.8.1 is starting to decline. Considering the available evidence, the additional public health risk posed by NB.1.8.1 is evaluated as low at the global level. However, hospital admissions have risen in China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is actively monitoring the situation.
According to a TIME report, information from GISAID, a global platform that tracks the genetic makeup of major disease-causing viruses, indicates that the earliest detected cases of the NB.1.8.1 variant emerged in late April. These cases were identified in travelers from countries including China, France, Japan, the Netherlands, Spain, South Korea, Taiwan, and Thailand.
NB.1.8.1 has become the leading COVID-19 variant in China, where it is linked to a noticeable rise in emergency room visits and hospital admissions.
According to the TIME report, the symptoms of NB.1.8.1 closely resemble those of previous COVID-19 variants, including sore throat, fever, cough, and fatigue. So far, reports from countries where the variant has emerged suggest it doesn't cause more severe illness. However, its genetic makeup includes mutations that enhance its ability to infect human cells, potentially making it more transmissible.
According to a statement from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a COVID-19 variant known as NB.1.8.1 is driving a rise in infections in China. Recently, a few cases were also detected in the United States among international travelers who tested positive at airports. The World Health Organization has classified this strain as a 'variant under monitoring.'
The CDC runs a surveillance program at select U.S. airports where consenting travelers are randomly tested for COVID-19. This initiative first detected the NB.1.8.1 variant in late March. Since then, cases have emerged in several states, including California, Hawaii, New York, Ohio, Rhode Island, Virginia, and Washington. However, the number of confirmed cases in the U.S. remains low, and the variant has not yet appeared on the CDC's official variant tracking dashboard.
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