A new COVID variant known as NB.1.8.1 has made landfall in the United States. The variant, which was first detected in China this past January, currently accounts for 10% of the SARS-CoV-2 sequences tested from around the world, recent surveillance data found. That’s a significant jump from 2.5% four weeks ago.
A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) spokesperson told HuffPost that the agency is in regular contact with international partners about the activity of NB.1.8.1. To date, only 20 NB.1.8.1 sequences have been identified in the U.S. — that’s below the threshold needed for a variant to appear on the agency’s COVID dashboard. (As soon as its prevalence increases, NB.1.8.1 will pop up on the tracker, the spokesperson added.)
Here’s what to know about the newest COVID variant that’s gaining traction around the world.
NB.1.8.1’s mutations likely make it more transmissible.
Compared to the currently dominant variant in the U.S. (LP.8.1), NB.1.8.1 has a handful of new mutations on the spike protein that may enhance its ability to bind to our cells, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
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