'Razor blade throat': What to know about COVID's new Nimbus variant

A new COVID-19 variant spreading in some parts of the world has been nicknamed "razor blade throat" because of its painful symptoms. 

The variant  — NB.1.8.1. or "Nimbus" — has been identified by doctors in the United Kingdom, India and elsewhere, The Associated Press reports. 

‘Razor blade throat’ COVID

What we know:

In addition to a painful sore throat, symptoms of the new variant are just like any variant: fever, chills, cough, shortness of breath or loss of taste or smell.

The rise in cases were primarily in the eastern Mediterranean, Southeast Asia and western Pacific regions, but airport screening in the United States detected the new variant in travelers arriving from those regions to destinations in California, Washington state, Virginia and New York.

Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 (L) and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines(Photo illustration by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Experts say so far, people aren’t likely to get sicker from this variant than others, but that could change as it evolves.

What we don't know:

It’s unclear how much the new variant has spread in the U.S. 

Are COVID-19 vaccines effective against the new variant? 

Big picture view:

The WHO has designated Nimbus as a "variant under monitoring" and considers the public health risk low at the global level. Health experts say current COVID-19 vaccines should still be effective against Nimbus. 

RELATED: RFK Jr.'s newest CDC vaccine panel includes critics of COVID shots, lockdowns

Dig deeper:

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced last month that COVID-19 shots are no longer recommended for healthy children and pregnant women — a move immediately questioned by public health experts.

The Source: This report includes information from The Associated Press. 

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