US EditionCOVID 'Nimbus' Variant Is Infectious and Spreading Fast
UNITED STATES, JUN 30 – The NB.1.8.1 Nimbus variant, linked to intense sore throat symptoms, accounts for 43% of U.S. COVID-19 cases as of mid-June, with vaccines still effective against severe illness.
- Health experts are warning about the rapid spread of a new COVID-19 variant called Nimbus causing 40% of U.S. cases as of mid-2025.
- This variant emerged amid increased gatherings for summer events like the Fourth of July and school breaks, which likely contribute to its surge in infections.
- Nimbus causes symptoms similar to past variants but notably includes a severe razor-sharp sore throat that can last several days, and it spreads more easily than previous strains.
- Experts recommend high-risk individuals receive updated vaccinations, practice mask-wearing if sick, and maintain hand hygiene to prevent severe illness, while WHO assesses the variant's global risk as low.
- Despite significant circulation, COVID-19 causes less severe illness and fewer deaths than earlier in the pandemic, but ongoing surveillance and vaccine access remain critical especially in regions like South Africa.
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At least 21 states are reporting a COVID-19 variant that spread across China earlier this year, according to newly updated data provided by a private company. A map released by the Global Initiative on Sharing All Influenza Data (GISAID) shows that 21 states in the United States are reporting COVID-19 variant NB.1.8.1 as of Thursday afternoon. The most recent estimate from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests that between June…
"Nimbus" Covid Variant Is Spreading In The US — These Are The Symptoms
SanyaSM/E+/Getty ImagesDon’t call it a comeback: COVID never left. Yes, the pandemic bug that dramatically altered the lives of just about everyone on the planet has let up (thanks again for that vaccine, science), but has never exited our lives completely. Wily in the ways that viruses often are, the coronavirus is constantly evolving, and so researchers are always on the lookout for variants they expect to be a problem and *airhorn sounds here…
What to know about NB.1.8.1 ‘Nimbus’: New COVID variant spreading in the U.S.
According to the World Health Network and Global Initiative on Sharing All Influenza Data, NB.1.8.1 has been detected in New York, along with at least 15 other U.S. states including California, New Jersey, and Illinois.
South Africa: Don't Panic About New SARS-CoV-2 Variant, Experts Say
COVID-19 has largely dropped out of the headlines, but the virus that causes it is still circulating. We ask what we should know about a new variant of SARS-CoV-2, the state of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2025, and the lack of access to updated vaccines in South Africa.
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