Latest Covid Variant Now Driving Over a Third of U.S. Cases

The most recent variant concerning COVVI-19 advances quickly through American data for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that NB.1.8.1 began to supplant other circulating strains of the coronavirus.

According to the last of the CDC IntentionCovering the last two weeks until June 7, NB.1.8.1 probably causes 37% of all COVID-19 cases in the United States, barely behind the current dominant variant, LP.8.1 (38%). This is an estimate, but the CDC figures indicate a large increase in cases NB.1.8.1 since last month, when the officials detected it for the first time in the country. Although it is not certain, it is possible that NB.1.8.1 can lead to a renewed summit of COVID-19 this summer.

The World Health Organization recognized for the first time NB.1.8.1 as a variant which deserves to be monitored in mid-May, although it was initially detected at the end of January. Since then, it has become a growing threat. At the beginning of June, about a quarter of all world cases are considered to be nb.1.8.1, according to WHO data. COVVI-19 activity in general was also uprising In some regions of the world, and NB.1.8.1 was related to recent overvoltages of cases and hospitalizations in certain parts of Asia, including China.

So far in the United States, however, the situation does not seem to worsen considerably. The COVVI-19 test positivity rate from weekend is 3%, just a tick above the previous week. Hospitalizations and deaths related to COVID-19 also have stay Stable and low. And NB.1.8.1 does not seem to cause more serious disease on average than other circulating variants. Today’s variants still belong to the omicron line of the virus, which means that they have not changed considerably at the genetic level and that the updated vaccine boosters should always be effective against NB.1.8.1.

At the same time, NB.1.8.1 can be just quite different from other strains so that it can become the dominant variant in the future; Some first evidence suggest that NB.1.8.1 has changes that could increase its transmissibility. Last winter was also unusually silent for COVID-19, with low traffic in the United States and elsewhere, but that could prepare the ground for a greater peak this summer, experts warned.

“We do not plan that the variant NB.1.8.1 presents a greater public health risk than the other omicron-detentive variants, and we do not expect a significant impact on the effectiveness of serious diseases,” said Edoardo COLZANI, Head of the unity of respiratory viruses of the European unit of the disease and the control of diseases, statement Released over the weekend. “However, after a winter with low circulation SRAS-COV-2, the immunity of the population against the Sras-COV-2 may have in part declined-especially in older adults and other people who have a higher risk of serious illness-increasing the vulnerability potentially as viral activity increases.”

Thanks to vaccination and immunity by the population, the danger of COVID-19 has considerably lowered over time. But this summer could certainly provide an unwanted reminder of the misery it can cause.