A new COVID-19 subvariant, dubbed “Nimbus,” has rapidly gained prominence across the United States to become the dominant strain in recent weeks, according to health officials.
They are warning of a new twist to COVID-19 symptoms: a severe sore throat often described as “razor blade throat” with pain that is more severe than typical coronavirus symptoms.
“Unlike a typical sore throat, which might feel scratchy or mildly irritating, this version feels like swallowing shards of glass, very raw, inflamed, and intense,” Dr. Raj Dasgupta, quadruple board-certified medical doctor and chief medical adviser for Sleepopolis, told.
Doctors have recommended precautions as well as remedies to control the variant’s unique symptom.
Unique ‘Razor-Blade’ Symptom
While other symptoms like congestion, cough, and fatigue remain common, this distinctive throat pain has quickly become a hallmark of the new variant.
“The pain comes from inflammation in the throat tissue as the body mounts an immune response to the virus,” Dasgupta explained. “In some people, this reaction is particularly aggressive, which irritates nerve endings and causes more severe discomfort. It’s still the same biological process as with milder sore throats, just amplified.”
First detected globally in January, Nimbus is a sublineage of the Omicron variant known scientifically as NB.1.8.1. As of mid-May, the variant had reached 10.7 percent of global reported COVID-19 cases, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
However, Nimbus accounted for roughly 37 percent of cases in the United States during a two-week period ending June 7, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Precautions
Despite the distinctive symptoms, health officials emphasize that NB.1.8.1 does not appear more dangerous than previous variants.
Health officials recommend standard precautions to reduce infection risk, including staying current with COVID-19 vaccinations, practicing good hygiene, and ensuring proper ventilation indoors.
“In general, it has been no more dangerous than the older strengths,” Dr. Jacob Teitelbaum, a board-certified internist and expert on chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, sleep, and pain, told.
The WHO notes that while NB.1.8.1 is spreading quickly relative to other circulating strains, it shows only slight additional ability to evade immunity beyond that of other variants. Some Western Pacific Region countries where NB.1.8.1 is most prevalent have reported increases in cases and hospitalizations, but there is no evidence indicating greater illness severity.
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