A New Contagious Covid Variant Is In The UK – Everything We Know So Far
A new strain of Covid, variant NB.1.8.1, has been spreading globally, the World Health Organisation (WHO) says.
WHO describes the SARS-CoV-2 strain as a “variant under monitoring (VUM).”
The variant seems to be spreading quite quickly, which is partly why it’s “under monitoring.”
First detected in January of this year, the strain has come to account for 10% of all SARS-CoV-2 sequences tested, up from 2.5% four weeks ago, the WHO said.
Is the new Covid strain in the UK?
Yes. It has been recorded in Northern Ireland and Wales and has also cropped up in British tourist hotspots, like Thailand, Egypt, and the Maldives.
The Independent writes that as fewer people test for Covid than at the height of the pandemic, it can be hard to work out exact figures.
What are the symptoms of the new Covid strain?
The WHO says variant NB.1.8.1 does not seem to cause more severe symptoms than any other strains of Covid.
Dr. Zachary Hoy, an infectious disease specialist with Pediatrix Medical Group, previously told HuffPost that “NB.1.8.1 would have similar symptoms to other COVID variants that have recently been circulating.”
The NHS shared that symptoms can include:
- a high temperature or shivering
- a new, continuous cough – coughing a lot for more than an hour, or 3 or more coughing episodes in 24 hours
- a loss or change to your sense of smell or taste
- shortness of breath
- feeling tired or exhausted
- an aching body
- a headache
- a sore throat
- a blocked or runny nose
- loss of appetite
- diarrhoea
- feeling sick or being sick.
Should I be worried about the new Covid variant?
The strain is relatively new, but based on the current evidence, the WHO has said: “The additional public health risk posed by NB.1.8.1 is evaluated as low at the global level.”
Still, like all Covid and flu cases, vulnerable people (older people, very young people, and those with compromised immune systems) are more likely to get very sick from the disease.
Speaking to CBS News, professor of epidemiology Dr Subhash Verma said: “Data indicates that NB.1.8.1 does not lead to more severe illness compared to previous variants, although it appears to have a growth advantage, suggesting it may spread more easily.”
“In other words,” she added, “it is more transmissible.”
Does the Covid vaccine protect against NB.1.8.1?
The WHO says, “Currently approved COVID-19 vaccines are expected
to remain effective to this variant against symptomatic and severe disease.”
Like all new strains of Covid, NB.1.8.1 is a mutation from former variants.
That can sometimes mean existing vaccines aren’t able to target new forms of the virus as effectively as they could with the kinds they’re built for.
But people vaccinated against Covid are still far more likely to avoid the worst outcomes should they catch the new strain.
Why is the new strain so contagious?
A pre-print (an as yet unreleased and not yet peer-reviewed study) suggests that the variant found that NB.1.8.1 had the strongest ability to bond to Covid receptor ACE2.
That means it might be able to make its way into our cells more easily than other variants.
The research also found that antibodies were 1.5 times less likely to “block” variant NB.1.8.1 than another recent variant, LP.8.1.1.
That might explain why it appears to be spreading so quickly, though this is only preliminary, unpublished research because of how recent the variant is.
What can I do to protect myself and others?
As with all Covid variants, washing your hands and communal surfaces often, testing often, and keeping a window open when meeting people indoors may help to prevent it from spreading to you.
Stay home and avoid people as much as possible if you are sick, the NHS says.
Covering your mouth and nose with a mask, avoiding crowded indoor spaces, and letting friends, family, coworkers, and doctors know about your illness before meeting them can also help.