The Latest on NB.1.8.1

A new subvariant of Omicron, designated NB.1.8.1, is gaining traction globally, prompting vigilance from health organizations. The World Health Organization (WHO) has identified increasing cases in several regions.

As of now, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) does not have enough U.S. cases to register it on their COVID variant tracker.

Symptoms and public Health Risk

Current data suggests that symptoms associated with NB.1.8.1 are similar to those of other COVID-19 variants. The WHO indicates that the overall public health risk remains low.

Timeline and Monitoring

• January 22: The earliest sample of the NB.1.8.1 variant was collected.
• May 23: The WHO designated NB.1.8.1 as a variant under monitoring, indicating the need for heightened attention and surveillance.

Global Spread and Concerns

The WHO reported 518 NB.1.8.1 cases across 22 countries as of May 18. While it constituted 10.7% of global cases at the end of April, this marks a significant increase from 2.5% just four weeks prior.

Expert Insights

Dr. Todd Ellerin, chief of infectious diseases at South Shore Health, cautions against complacency, stating:

Remember, we’ve seen summer surges.One thing that COVID has done is it’s been able to surge in the summer, and it’s been able to surge in the winter, and that’s very different than respiratory viruses we’ve dealt with in the past. But we still don’t know if this is going to be the virus that leads to a summer surge, it’s just too early to know.
Dr. Todd Ellerin, South Shore Health

Severity and Transmissibility

While some countries with higher proportions of NB.1.8.1 have reported increases in cases and hospitalizations, there is no evidence suggesting that this variant causes more severe disease than others. John Brownstein, chief innovation officer at Boston Children’s Hospital and ABC News contributor, explains:

With each new variant, what we’ve seen is severity doesn’t really change so far, we’re not seeing it have more severe complications. What we certainly know is that when a virus is more transmissible, it will ultimately infect more people and when you infect more people … you’ll have more cases of severe illness, hospitalization, and sadly death.
John Brownstein, Boston Children’s Hospital

Data from China and other regions indicates that the primary concern with NB.1.8.1 is its potential for increased transmissibility.

Vaccine Effectiveness and Prevention

The WHO anticipates that current COVID-19 vaccines will remain effective against NB.1.8.1. Brownstein emphasizes the importance of staying up-to-date with vaccinations and boosters:

This is the natural path we’ve seen with every variant, and so the guidance doesn’t really change ultimately. It’s making sure people are up to date with their vaccines and boosters … and then of course, those that are immunocompromised or in high-risk groups may want to layer in other types of interventions like masking or being careful about large group settings where there could be increased risk of transmission.
John Brownstein, Boston Children’s Hospital