New Covid variant turning classic symptoms upside down amid summer surge fears
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A new Covid variant has been confirmed in Ireland and experts say it could be changing how symptoms show up.
The strain, named NB.1.8.1, has seen a rapid rise in Ireland in recent weeks. According to the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC), the proportion of sequenced Covid samples linked to NB.1.8.1 has jumped from just 3.7% to 33.3% in the last five weeks. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has classified NB.1.8.1 as a "variant under monitoring" due to its fast global spread. It now accounts for more than 10% of sequenced Covid infections worldwide and is already the dominant strain in China and Hong Kong.
It has also been detected in the UK, US and Australia, as well as a number of popular holiday destinations like Egypt, Thailand, and the Maldives. But it's the way this variant may alter the typical symptom profile that has caught doctors' attention. While previous strains mainly triggered respiratory issues, NB.1.8.1 is now being linked to gastrointestinal symptoms in some patients - which can include nausea, bloating, abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhoea, constipation and heartburn.
Dr Lara Herrero, Associate Professor and Virology Research Leader at Griffith University, explained: "Common symptoms [of NB.1.8.1] include sore throat, fatigue, fever, mild cough, muscle aches and nasal congestion. Gastrointestinal symptoms may also occur in some cases." She added that there's no indication so far that NB.1.8.1 causes more severe illness, stating: "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."
According to Dr Scott Roberts, an infectious disease specialist at Yale, Covid typically surges twice a year - in winter and summer - regardless of the variant. He told NBC news last week: "I'm going to go ahead and guess that it's going to lead to an uptick in the summer - probably a mild to moderate one".
Meanwhile, Dr Thomas Russo, head of infectious diseases at the University at Buffalo, told the publication of his concern that a relaxed approach to the virus could backfire. He warned: "It may unfortunately come back with a little bit of vengeance on us. Let's hope that doesn't happen, but I am concerned that we may be setting ourselves up for that with this combination of factors."
The WHO has not recommended any new travel or trade restrictions, but urged countries to remain alert, saying: "Based on the current risk assessment of this event, WHO advises against imposing travel or trade restrictions." Ireland's public health advice remains the same: If you have any symptoms of Covid, stay at home until 48 hours after the symptoms are mostly or fully gone. You should also avoid contact with other people, especially people at higher risk from Covid.
The HSE has reminded the public of the wide range of Covid symptoms to look out for. These include:
fever (high temperature - 38C or above) - including having chills
dry cough
fatigue (tiredness)
loss or change to your sense of smell or taste – this could mean they're completely gone or just different to normal
nasal congestion (runny or blocked nose)
conjunctivitis (also known as red eye or pink eye)
sore throat
headache
muscle or joint pain (aches and pains)
different types of skin rash
nausea or vomiting
diarrhoea
chills
dizziness
shortness of breath or breathing difficulties
loss of appetite
confusion
pain or pressure in the chest
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