A new COVID-19 strain from China, known as NB.1.8.1, has been detected in six U.S. states and is described by health experts as “more transmissible.”
International travelers first brought this variant to New York, Washington state, Rhode Island, Virginia, and Hawaii since March. California recently reported cases as well, prompting state health officials to raise concerns.
“In other words, it is more transmissible,” stated Verma. The strain has grown significantly in California, jumping from two percent to 19% of cases since April, fueling fears of increased hospitalizations and infections.
While the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has not yet begun monitoring the NB.1.8.1 strain, the World Health Organization reports that it now accounts for more than half of the world’s cases. Despite these concerns, WHO says the risk level remains “low at the global level,” and “currently approved COVID-19 vaccines are expected to remain effective” against it.
The California Department of Public Health has warned that the strain’s rise could prompt reinstatement of mask mandates, although no travel restrictions have been imposed.
Symptoms of this strain mirror those of earlier COVID variants—fever, cough, chills, nausea, congestion, and loss of taste or smell. China, meanwhile, is seeing a surge in respiratory illnesses, with a rise in COVID-positive cases among emergency room patients.
For more updates on this COVID-19 strain, stay tuned to Que Onda Magazine.