Translated with AI
A new variant of COVID, known as NB.1.8.1, is spreading in the United States. Doctors have described the symptoms of infection with it, Tengri Life reports, citing HuffPost.
The new COVID strain is more contagious than other variants of the virus, experts say. It was first detected in China in January this year.
Experts say there are no significant differences between the symptoms of NB.1.8.1 and those caused by other versions of SARS-CoV-2.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the new mutation of the virus has improved transmissibility and this variant may have the ability to evade some of our immune defenses.
The symptoms of NB.1.8.1 are largely similar to those of other SARS-CoV-2 variants, said Dr. Amesh Adalja, an infectious disease expert and senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins University Center for Health Security.
Two common symptoms of COVID are a mild but persistent dry cough and nasal congestion. Many people with COVID also experience fatigue and exhaustion.
Other common symptoms include fever, chills, sore throat and muscle aches.
The WHO says there is no evidence that the variant causes more severe disease or increases in hospitalizations or deaths. The only notable aspect so far is the rapid rate of spread.
It is too early to talk about the vaccines’ effectiveness — studies of NB.1.8.1 are limited because it is new — but scientists expect the vaccines to provide good protection against the virus. After all, NB.1.8.1 is a spin-off from the Omicron JN.1 lineage that the 2024–2025 vaccines are targeting.
Most people will be able to recover at home with adequate rest and hydration, and in most cases symptoms should resolve within a week.
