NB.1.8.1: This is the new Covid-19 variant that is causing infections to rise.

BarcelonaIt's been five years since the worst health crisis of the 21st century. COVID-19 turned the world upside down, with millions of infected people and deaths overwhelming healthcare systems and nearly collapsing in many countries. The arrival of vaccines, on the one hand, and the constant mutations of the virus, on the other, have allowed it to become another disease in the season of respiratory viruses, such as the flu. This is due to a new mutation called NB.1.8.1, which has already been placed under surveillance. However, for the moment, the risk is low, both in mild and severe symptomatic cases. As of mid-May, 518 positive samples of NB.1.8.1 have been identified from 22 countries, that is, one in ten samples sequenced worldwide. "significant" compared to recent weeks. In Catalonia, the predominant variant It is still the JN.1, although cases have been increasing in recent weeks, going from fewer than 300 at the end of April to more than 700 in mid-May, according to data from the Information System for Infection Surveillance in Catalonia.

Study the variants

The WHO reiterates to states that they should prioritize specific measures to better address the uncertainties related to COVID-19 immune evasion, and specifically the NB.1.8.1 variant. In fact, it recommends studying this mutation with clinical trials to better understand its symptoms and transmission capacity, as well as a comparison with the currently predominant variants. However, the WHO will continue to periodically assess the impact of different virus variants and their ability to evade the protective effect of vaccines. It will also review the risk assessment of the NB.1.8.1 variant as more scientific evidence and data from other countries become available.