New Covid strain symptoms in full including nausea and heartburn as NB.1.8.1 spread deteced
New Covid strain symptoms in full including nausea and heartburn as NB.1.8.1 spread deteced
The World Health Organisation has been monitoring the new strain, which is of the Omicron variant, as seven cases have been detected
Heartburn is among the symptoms of the new Covid variant detected in the UK
(Image: Getty Images )
Medical professionals are on high alert as a new strain of the Coronavirus, known as NB.1.8.1, has been detected in the UK for the first time.
The new strain is being closely observed after being listed as a "variant under monitoring" by the World Health Organisation (WHO) due to its swift increase in cases.
Seven people in Northern Ireland have tested positive for this strain, which has shown potential to bypass immunity from past infections or vaccinations. Across the globe, NB.1.8.1 has quadrupled in prevalence among tested cases in the past month.
While some symptoms remain consistent with those of previous variants, healthcare experts have identified additional symptoms such as heartburn. They also noted gastrointestinal issues including abdominal pain and bloating.
New Covid variant NB.1.8.1 has been detected across the world
(Image: undefined via Getty Images )
NB. 1.8.1 has become the predominant strain in regions like Hong Kong and China and has been found in other countries including Australia, the US, and several holiday hotspots such as Egypt, Thailand, and the Maldives, reports the Mirror.
Article continues below
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
Data from WHO indicates a concerning rise in the prevalence of the NB. 1.8.1 strain, jumping from 2.5 per cent to 10.7 per cent of global sequences submitted within a four-week span, leading to increased global vigilance.
A spokesperson for WHO stated: "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.
Article continues below
"In February, circulation of XEC began to decline while that of LP.8.1 increased, with the latter becoming the most detected variant in mid-March. Since mid-April, the circulation of LP.8.1 has been slightly declining as NB.1.8.1 is increasingly being detected."
Experts note that NB. 1.8.1 carries 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.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mirror
3 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Covid Nimbus variant in UK 'causes hospital surge' in some countries
Health experts have issued 'stay at home' advice and officials said in countries where it is rampant a big increase in serious infections has happened Top health officials have said people should 'stay indoors' if they feel they have Covid symptoms after a new strain was detected in the UK. Worryingly, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) highlighted that in other countries where the new 'Nimbus' variant is widespread, it has led to a big rise in hospitalisations. In a new blog the UKHSA said the fresh NB.1.8.1 variant spread, is being monitored by the World Health Organisation. Dr Gayatri Amirthalingam, the Deputy Director at UKHSA, said: "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-19 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.' The UKHSA added: "NB.1.8.1 has been detected in small numbers in the UK to date, and international data suggests that it is growing as a proportion of all COVID-19 cases. Although cases and hospitalisations are increasing in some countries where NB.1.8.1 is widespread, current data does not indicate that this variant leads to more severe illness than other variants in circulation. "The most important thing to do is to get your vaccination when it is due if you're eligible. It's normal for viruses to mutate and change, and as more data becomes available on this variant we'll have a better understanding of how it interacts with our immune systems and how to optimise our protection, as well as actions we can take to keep the most vulnerable safe and live our lives as normally as possible." With the rise of the Nimbus variant, the UKHSA has issued advice on what people should do if they catch it - including wearing a mask if they go out. They stated: "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." The UKHSA further advised that if a person leaves their home while they have symptoms of a respiratory infection, and you have a high temperature or feel unwell, they should "avoid close contact with anyone who you know is at higher risk of becoming seriously unwell, especially those whose immune system means that they are at higher risk of serious illness, despite vaccination." UKHSA advice on reducing chance of passing on infection to others: Wear a well-fitting face covering made with multiple layers or a surgical face mask Avoid crowded places such as public transport, large social gatherings, or anywhere that is enclosed or poorly ventilated Taking any exercise outdoors in places where you will not have close contact with other people Covering your mouth and nose when you cough or sneeze; wash your hands frequently with soap and water for 20 seconds or use hand sanitiser after coughing, sneezing and blowing your nose and before you eat or handle food; avoid touching your face. For more information and advice, click here. Symptoms include: severe sore throat fatigue mild cough fever muscle aches congestion
The National
4 hours ago
- The National
Doctor describes 'flood of the dead' in Gaza hospital
Rossel Mohrij, a reconstructive surgeon based at a hospital in Oxford, has worked in Gaza twice since Israel's genocidal assault on the Palestinians began nearly two years ago. The 38-year-old said she worked mainly with children during her time at the Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis in December 2024. She said the volume of patients at the hospital, where mass graves were found last April, would 'shut down any major hospital here in a couple of days'. Her co-workers would come to the hospital 'soaking wet because they slept in tents that offered no protection from the elements', Mohrij told a press conference in London on Thursday. They would also survive on just one meal a day and did not know 'whether their family would still be alive at the end of their shift', she added. (Image: AP Photo/Mohammed Dahman) Mohrij said: 'I remember operating with a local surgeon whose phone wouldn't stop ringing. I asked him to pick it up, his wife was calling him to tell him that their son – who had been detained by the IDF for months – had been released; tortured, injured but still alive. 'In the UK, we would take time off for a sprained finger, let alone having your son detained not knowing whether he's alive or dead.' She described how operations were carried out with 'blunt instruments' and without basic hygiene supplies like sterile dressings – and said doctors were reduced to using vinegar to clean infections. One night, said Mohrij, she was approaching the end of her day when a bomb struck a school near the hospital at around 11pm at night after the surgeons had cleared their list of patients for the day. READ MORE: 'Israel herding Palestinians into concentration camps,' says Gaza aid chief She said: 'What came into the emergency department that night is beyond anything I've ever seen, I will carry it with me forever. A flood of the dead, dying, the dismembered, people searching through the chaos, through faces, through limbs, looking for their loved ones. 'Children too stunned to cry, too shattered to speak, staring at their missing body parts.' One child had lost his limbs and 19 members of his family, added Mohrij. She said: 'What do I say to that child when he wakes up? 'You've lost your leg, you've lost everyone you love.'' Mohrij, who works at the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford, went on to describe her and colleagues gathered at the foot of a bed where a young boy was lying after being injured in a bombing. (Image: Getty Images) She said: 'He was stuck in the rubble so presented late with severe burn injuries to his legs. They were so severe that the blood supply to his legs were restricted. 'Me, some other visiting surgeons, some local surgeons stood at his feet, debating how to make his death less excruciating. He did not understand our words but I guess he felt our despair. We quietly covered his face with a white cloth to block the world out. He died the next morning.' Another patient had suffered an injury to his foot through bombing and, though his wounds were clean, he had caught an infection, she said. Without any means of investigating and because he was 'severely malnourished' he suffered from multiple organ failure and died within days, Mohrij said. She added: 'He would have lived here or in any moderately equipped hospital.' Mohrij noted that the conditions she described were the situation at the end of last year adding: 'I can't even imagine how bad things are now with no aid and no proper functioning hospitals.'
Wales Online
4 hours ago
- Wales Online
Full list of Covid symptoms including three unusual ones as new variant reaches UK
Full list of Covid symptoms including three unusual ones as new variant reaches UK The new Covid variant has spread through several countries and now reached the UK The new strain was first detected in January (Image: Getty Images ) Brits are being warned to watch out for three unusual symptoms that could be a sign of a new Covid strain which has been detected in the UK. These symptoms are not typically associated with the virus and could lead to misdiagnosis. More than five years on from the start of the pandemic, Covid-19 continues to spread globally, with the virus mutating multiple times to produce new variants. The latest strain, NB.1.8.1, has already spread across several countries, with seven cases identified in Northern Ireland. First detected in January, this new strain is a sublineage of the Omicron variant, and the Health Protection Surveillance Centre reports that the number of Covid cases linked to it has jumped from 3.7 per cent to 33.3 per cent in just five weeks. The World Health Organisation has classified NB. 1.8.1 as a "variant under monitoring", due to its rapid global spread, with the strain now accounting for over 10 per cent of sequenced Covid infections worldwide, and dominating in China and Hong Kong. The new Covid variant, also detected in the US and Australia as well as holiday hotspots like Egypt, Thailand, and the Maldives, may be more transmissible than its predecessors, according to Dr Lara Herrero, research leader in virology at Griffith University. Three lesser-known symptoms While coughs, sore throats and loss of taste or smell are familiar signs of Covid, the NB. 1.8.1 strain might bring less recognised symptoms too. Stay informed on the latest health news by signing up to our newsletter here . Article continues below "Reports suggest symptoms of NB.1.8.1 should align closely with other Omicron subvariants," Dr Herrero said, noting that some cases could exhibit gastrointestinal issues. As The Independent highlighted, these could include: Diarrhoea Constipation Nausea This could lead to confusion over whether someone is suffering from Covid or another illness. However, Dr Herrero explained that people may experience typical symptoms such as a sore throat, fatigue, fever, mild cough, muscle aches and nasal congestion alongside the more unusual symptoms. 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 If you think you have Covid, NHS advice is to minimise contact with others despite no legal self-isolation requirement, especially if you're displaying symptoms. Article continues below You can continue your usual activities when you feel better or do not have a high temperature. However, if you test positive, you should: Try to stay at home and avoid contact with other people for three days after the day the test was taken if you or your child is under 18 years old – children and young people tend to be infectious for less time than adults Try to stay at home and avoid contact with other people for five days after the day you took your test if you are 18 years old or over Avoid meeting people who are more likely to get seriously ill from infections, such as people with a weakened immune system, for 10 days after the day you took your test
