#new variant

COVID-19 has not gone away. It keeps mutating into new variants, and NB.1.8.1 is one we should be concerned about.

Public-health experts have warned for months that the COVID-19 virus isn’t gone—and, far from waning, SARS-CoV-2 has mutated yet again into a new variant. Called NB.1.8.1, it's causing a spike in infections in China. A few cases also recently appeared in the U.S. when people arriving at airports tested positive, according to a statement from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The World Health Organization has also designated it as a “variant under monitoring.” [ ... ] Symptoms are similar to those linked to other COVID-19 strains and include sore throat, fever, cough, and fatigue. So far, based on data from other countries where cases have been reported, the variant does not seem to cause more severe disease—but genetically, it is equipped with changes that allow it be infect cells more efficiently. That means it could spread more easily among people.

So it's average severity for COVID but can apparently be spread more easily.

Unfortunately, "Worm Brain" RFK Jr. is making it more difficult to get vaccinated.

Getting vaccinated, however, may become harder for other groups. In a series of unusual moves, U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced that the CDC will no longer recommend a yearly shot for healthy children and pregnant women; the FDA recently said it will not recommend it for healthy adults until vaccine makers conduct additional studies to prove its safety and effectiveness in this population. These changes mean that insurers may no longer cover the shot, and people who want to get vaccinated may have to pay out of pocket.

The Guardian adds this.

Like its predecessors, NB.1.8.1 carries mutations in the spike protein. This is the protein on the surface of the virus that allows it to infect us – specifically via the ACE2 receptors, a “doorway” to our cells. The mutations include T22N, F59S, G184S, A435S, V445H, and T478I. It’s early days for this variant, so we don’t have much data on what these changes mean yet. But a recent preprint (a study that has not yet been peer-reviewed) offers some clues about why NB.1.8.1 may be gathering traction. Using lab-based models, researchers found NB.1.8.1 had the strongest binding affinity to the human ACE2 receptor of several variants tested – suggesting it may infect cells more efficiently than earlier strains.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has confirmed a global rise in COVID-19 cases, with the test positivity rate climbing to 11%, a level not seen since July 2024.

Coinciding with this uptick of cases is the emergence of a new variant known as NB.1.8.1, a descendant of Omicron, which has been classified as a Variant Under Monitoring (VUM).

Since it was first identified earlier this year, cases have been reported in several countries, particularly in travelers from China, France, Japan, the Netherlands, Spain, South Korea, Taiwan, and Thailand.

In China, NB.1.8.1 has become the dominant strain and is linked to increasing emergency room visits and hospital admissions.

According to Taiwan’s Centers for Disease Control, NB.1.8.1 shows strong immune-evasion capabilities, making it more transmissible than earlier variants.

Despite the surge in nearby countries such as China, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam, and Singapore, where some schools have returned to online learning, the Philippines’ COVID-19 situation remains stable, according to local health authorities.

Even with a new booster, the XBB.1.5 vaccine offered no increased protection from infection against the JN.1 variant. This alarming discovery underscores the virus's relentless ability to mutate and evade our defenses, fueling continued transmission, evolution, and the devastating threat of Long COVID.

"Ongoing evolution of SARS-CoV-2 drives escape from mRNA vaccine-induced humoral immunity"

(March 07, 2024)