19 hours ago
Will the new COVID-19 variant that's on the rise give you a ‘razor blades' sore throat? Here's what we know
A new COVID-19 variant was this week expected to become the dominant strain in Ontario, after circulating in parts of the world including our neighbours to the south.
The new variant, part of the Omicron subfamily, is called NB.1.8.1 and it is derived from the recombinant variant XDV.1.5.1, according to the
World Health Organization (WHO)
, with cases detected globally as the previous dominant COVID-19 strain, LP.8.1, starts to decline.
NB.1.8.1 first emerged in January and cases are climbing predominantly in areas such as in the eastern Mediterranean, Southeast Asia and western Pacific regions. In the U.S., airport screening has detected the new variant in travellers arriving from these regions to California, Washington state, Virginia and New York.
Experts in Ontario say the variant is on it's way to become the most prevalent COVID-19 strain across the province, although they're not worried about it causing an uptick in severe disease.
Here's what you should know about the new COVID-19 variant and how to protect yourself.
The
most recent data from Public Health Ontario
shows that COVID-19 positivity rates are low in the province since the start of the month, with 2.6 per cent positivity, eight outbreaks, 79 hospital bed occupancies and no deaths.
At the end of May, COVID-19 rates remained low at 2.5 per cent positivity, three outbreaks, 69 hospital bed occupancies and one death.
The Public Health Ontario surveillance report for this week's COVID-19 cases is expected to be released next week.
The numbers from the available data are based on limited testing as COVID-19 testing isn't done as frequently as it was during the pandemic, said Dr. Fahad Razak, an internal medicine physician at St. Michael's Hospital and former scientific director of the Ontario COVID-19 Science Advisory Table.
'Some people do random surveillance out of their family medicine offices, emergency rooms do some surveillance, public health does some surveillance — and that gets reported on the Public Health Ontario website,' said Dr. Allan Grill, chief of the department of family medicine at Oak Valley Health's Markham Stouffville Hospital.
With the data that is available, NB.1.8.1 makes up roughly 10 per cent of all COVID-19 cases in the province, Razak said, and although COVID-19 rates are generally low, the new variant is rising quickly and displacing the older version of the virus.
Razak added the data projects that within this week or the next, NB.1.8.1 will account for nearly 60 per cent of the COVID-19 cases circulating in the province.
Public Health Ontario says the weekly relative growth rate of the new strain is 1.77 times that of LP.8.1.1.
The NB.1.8.1 variant is not yet causing major concern, says Razak, since it isn't causing a flood of patients in hospitals nor infecting so many people that it's causing health system pressures.
'It is just the latest expected evolution of a virus, which continues to mutate. And as it mutates, versions of the virus that can escape your immune system become the new dominant version,' he said.
Doctors say the symptoms of NB.1.8.1 are much the same as previous strains of COVID-19, with respiratory issues being the most typical in infected individuals.
According to
Health Canada
, common COVID-19 symptoms include:
Dr. Alon Vaisman, an infectious diseases and infection control physician at University Health Network (UHN), said this strain will present itself with upper respiratory tract symptoms similar to previous COVID-19 strains. In more severe cases, often for vulnerable populations, it will also show up as in previous strains with lower respiratory tract symptoms that could lead to pneumonia or lung inflammation.
Vaisman says those age 65 and older who are immunocompromised remain at the highest risk for the new strain. But as the risk for COVID-19 has reduced for the general public, 'the overall absolute risk has dropped' for vulnerable populations, as well, over the last few years.
Some online reports have said the new variant is connected to a sore throat that feels like 'razor blades.' While Razak has heard these claim, he said sore throats are not new for those who contract COVID-19 and there's likely no 'significance' to the online reports.
The COVID-19 vaccine is 'an important layer of protection' against the new strain, especially for vulnerable groups, said Razak.
Referring to information from Canada's National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) in January, Grill said the current available vaccine should protect those at highest risk of getting COVID-19, including this new strain.
Higher risk groups and marginalized populations with less access to health care such, including some Indigenous communities, are recommended by NACI to continue getting a COVID-19 booster at least once a year, Grill added.
As well, people over age 80 are recommended to receive a second dose of the booster shot in a year.
'We're suggesting that they get vaccinated twice a year because we know that the protection tends to wane at around six months, and we are continuously updating our vaccines to match the most recent circulating version,' Razak said. 'The version that's being given this spring is the same as the version from last fall, and the real reason to get it is to bolster your immune protection.'
As well as getting the COVID-19 vaccine, doctors say good hygiene practises can help keep the virus's spread to a minimum — like with any respiratory illness.
Those with active symptoms should practice proper hand washing, especially before eating or drinking. It is recommended infected people stay home until they're fever free for at least 24 hours with improving symptoms. As well, wearing a mask is recommended to help halt the spread in indoor spaces.
Vaisman says those with symptoms should be cautious around immunocompromised individuals.
While it's not yet known if new strain NB.1.8.1 will cause increased illness, 'it's unlikely that it's going to be significant in one direction or the other,' Vaisman said, 'So, if you are an individual who took precautions prior to this strain, then that is unchanged now.'
With files from the Associated Press
