New COVID Variant NB.1.8.1 Begins to Spread Globally: What We Know So Far
Officials in several countries near China have expressed concern about the variant The World Health Organization (WHO) says a variant of the virus that causes COVID-19 called NB.1.8.1 is causing a surge in infections worldwide, as China’s health agency says it is becoming the dominant variant. The new variant was classified as a “variant under surveillance” by the UN health agency last week, and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirmed a small number of cases have been detected in the US. WHO Says New Variant Starting to Spread The WHO said in an update on May 28 that the variant is causing an increase in cases in several regions of the world and is now spreading in Southeast Asia, the western Pacific and the Mediterranean. “The recent increase has been observed in four countries and territories so far: Cambodia, China, Hong Kong … and Singapore,” the WHO said. The LP.8.1 variant is now the dominant variant globally, according to the WHO....