New Covid-19 variant causes sore throat that feels like 'razor blades': Everything to know about NB.1.8.1 aka Nimbus

The World Health Organisation is monitoring a new variant of the Covid-19 virus, which is believed to be more contagious than previous mutations.

The variant, NB.1.8.1, has been informally dubbed 'Nimbus' and causes a severe sore throat that's been likened to 'razor blades'. The World Health Organisation (WHO) is monitoring it, as this latest mutation of the contagious virus already makes up over 10 percent of cases in Asia, Salon said in a June 11 report. The portal added that NB.1.8.1 has now been detected in multiple countries, including the US and Canada.

Many people have been reporting a symptom called 'razor blade throat' but it’s unclear if this is a symptom of Covid or one of the many other viruses circulating, reported Salon. (Freepik)

NB.1.8.1 symptoms

The Covid-19 variant NB.1.8.1, also known as Nimbus, is a descendant of the Omicron family and has been classified as a Variant Under Monitoring (VUM) by the WHO. To mitigate the spread of NB. 1.8.1, it's essential to practice good respiratory hygiene, maintain social distancing, and follow public health guidelines.

Salon reported that this strain causes 'razor blade throat' or a severe sore throat. Other symptoms include flu-like symptoms such as congestion, fatigue, a mild cough, fever, and muscle aches, and more infrequently diarrhoea and nausea, The Independent said in a June 10 report. Per that portal, WHO says global risk is 'currently low, and existing Covid-19 vaccines are considered effective in preventing severe disease'.

More about NB.1.8.1

Salon said that Nimbus has recombined genetic material from other strains three times – although the process of recombination is a natural process of viruses trying to evolve to survive among the population, recombination events are concerning because each time a virus does so, it has the potential to evolve into something that is more infectious or causes more severe disease.

Should you be worried?

The portal quoted Dr Rajendram Rajnarayanan of the New York Institute of Technology campus in Jonesboro, Arkansas, as having said that one of these mutations in Nimbus allows it to evade the immunity we have built against the virus from prior infections, so transmissibility might be slightly higher.

Dr Rajnarayanan also said: “We haven’t seen a big surge in emergency departments due to Covid-related conditions and respiratory things in this term yet. We have to wait and watch.”

Dr T Ryan Gregory, an evolutionary and genome biologist at the University of Guelph in Canada, added, “We learned from Omicron that high transmissibility can cause as much damage as high per infection virulence, and at this point it is not just acute severity that is of concern, but longer-term impacts of repeated infection.” Such impacts include conditions like 'long Covid', in which the symptoms of Covid-19 last for months or years, often disabling patients, the report added.

Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions about a medical condition.