New list of Covid symptoms for NB.1.8.1 strain as it spreads in UK
The World Health Organization has designated the NB.1.8.1 strain of Covid a "variant under monitoring" due to its rapid rise
Epidemiologists are on high alert after a new Covid strain has emerged in the UK, with "multiple mutations" and new symptoms that Brits should be aware of.
The NB. 1.8.1 variant of Covid, now under World Health Organisation's (WHO) surveillance as a "variant under monitoring", is causing alarm due to its rapid spread and fears that it could evade immunity from previous infections or vaccination.
Seven cases of the variant have been confirmed in Northern Ireland, while globally the new strain has become four times more prevalent among sequenced Covid infections.
While some symptoms mirror those of earlier strains, health professionals have identified novel indicators such as heartburn. They've also noted gastrointestinal issues like abdominal pain and bloating.
NB. 1.8.1 has become the predominant strain in regions like Hong Kong and China and has cropped up in Australia, the US, and holiday hotspots including Egypt, Thailand, and the Maldives, reports the Mirror.
A full list of symptoms:
a high temperature or shivering (chills) – a high temperature means you feel hot to touch on your chest or back (you do not need to measure your temperature)
a new, continuous cough – this means coughing a lot for more than an hour, or 3 or more coughing episodes in 24 hours
a loss or change to your sense of smell or taste
shortness of breath
feeling tired or exhausted
an aching body
a headache
a sore throat
a blocked or runny nose
loss of appetite
diarrhoea
feeling sick or being sick
WHO data reveals a concerning leap in the strain's prevalence, from 2.5 per cent to 10.7 per cent of global sequences within a month, sparking heightened global vigilance.
A WHO representative 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."
From February onwards, the circulation of XEC started to drop, while LP. 8.1 saw an increase and became the most detected variant by mid-March.
However, since mid-April, LP. 8.1 has seen a slight decline as NB.1.8.1 is being detected more often. Experts say that NB.1.8.1 contains multiple mutations that "may infect cells more efficiently than earlier strains."
But importantly, the WHO has not yet observed any evidence it causes more severe disease compared to other variants. Reports suggest symptoms of NB.1.8.1 should align closely with other Omicron subvariants.
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