A new Covid-19 variant known for causing intense throat pain, described by some as feeling like swallowing razor blades, is making headlines as infections rise in several parts of the world.
Nicknamed ‘razor blade throat’ Covid, the variant officially referred to as NB.1.8.1, or Nimbus, has become the latest strain to attract international attention, as reported by ABC7 News.
The World Health Organisation has flagged the variant as a ‘variant under monitoring’, noting that while it’s gaining traction in regions like Southeast Asia, the eastern Mediterranean, and parts of the western Pacific, there is no current evidence to suggest it causes more severe illness than previous strains.
Doctors in countries including the United Kingdom and India were among the first to notice that many of their recent patients were experiencing extremely painful sore throats, now considered a hallmark symptom of the Nimbus strain. Other common symptoms – like fever, chills, cough, and loss of smell – remain consistent across Covid-19 variants.
Despite its sharp rise, the public health risk remains low, according to the WHO. In fact, the variant was detected in nearly 11% of globally sequenced samples by mid-May. US airport screenings have identified cases in California, New York, Washington, and Virginia, tied to travellers arriving from high-incidence countries.
Reassuringly, existing Covid-19 vaccines continue to offer strong protection against serious illness from the Nimbus variant. This comes despite the recent controversy stirred by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr, who announced that Covid shots are no longer being recommended for healthy children and pregnant women in the US, a position widely criticised by medical professionals and public health authorities.
The WHO maintains that vaccination remains the best line of defence, especially as new variants continue to emerge and spread via global travel and relaxed public restrictions.
While the so-called ‘razor blade throat’ Covid may sound dramatic, health experts say there’s no need to panic, but staying informed, vaccinated, and cautious is as important now as ever.
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