A new fast-spreading COVID-19 variant, NB.1.8.1, tied to a surge in China, has been identified in the U.S. as access to routine vaccinations is poised to narrow, CBS News reported May 27.
Here are five things to know:
- The CDC confirmed the new strain has been identified in multiple U.S. locations, first cases were detected in late March and early April via airport screening for international travelers.
- Subhash Verma, PhD, professor of microbiology and immunology at the University of Nevada, told CBS that strain NB.1.8.1 causes symptoms “broadly similar” to prior strains. Common symptoms include a cough, sore throat, fever and fatigue.
- While the new strain appears to spread more easily, experts said there has been no evidence that it causes more severe illness than other strains. “What they’re seeing in China, Hong Kong and some other areas where this variant has really surged, is an increase in hospitalization, but that seems to be more to do with just a standard summer surge that we’ve been seeing,” said Amy Edwards, MD, assistant professor of pediatrics at the School of Medicine at Case Western Reserve University.
- This comes as federal officials have taken steps to limit access to routine COVID vaccines. Earlier this month, the FDA said it will continue authorizing shots for adults 65 and older and those with underlying health conditions under its current framework, but will now require new clinical trials before expanding approvals to healthy individuals. On May 27, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said the CDC no longer recommends routine COVID-19 vaccination for healthy children and pregnant women — a move that has drawn criticism from healthcare groups warning it could lead insurers to limit coverage.
- The FDA also recently directed manufacturers to update fall boosters to target strain LP.8.1, currently the dominant variant in the U.S., according to a May 23 NBC News report. However, experts say the new trial requirements for low-risk populations could delay broader availability of the shots ahead of the fall season.
