2 days ago
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has a high 'immune evasion, supporting its potential for future dominance,' according to a pre-print study that has not yet been peer-reviewed.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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