CNN – A new coronavirus variant is spreading in many parts of the world.
The variant, NB.1.8.1, has been identified as the cause of Covid-19 resurgence in China and several other Asian countries. Experts in Europe are predicting a possible increase in cases there.
A summer wave also could occur in the United States. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, NB.1.8.1 already represents about one-third of new Covid-19 cases as of June 7. This is a significant increase from just a month before, when the new variant represented just 5% of new Covid-19 cases.
Could another summer wave really occur? Do current vaccines still work, and if so, who should consider getting another dose now? And what precautions should people take to reduce their risk of contracting Covid-19?
To help us with these questions, I spoke with CNN wellness expert Dr. Leana Wen, an emergency physician and clinical associate professor at the George Washington University. Wen previously served as Baltimore’s health commissioner.
Wen: The SARS-CoV-2 virus is constantly mutating, and it’s entirely expected that there will be new variants. The more opportunities the virus is given to spread, the more opportunities it has to mutate.
Every time a new variant arises that appears to be outcompeting previous strains, it’s important to ask three questions: Is it causing more severe disease, is it more contagious, and do existing vaccines still work against it?
This new variant, NB.1.8.1, also called Nimbus, is a descendant of the Omicron strain. The World Health Organization has deemed the new strain a “variant under monitoring.” However, WHO also reports that surveillance data do not show that it has increased severity compared with previously circulating variants.
Given that this strain is outcompeting previous variants, it’s possible that it could be more contagious, but there is nothing to suggest that it is being spread differently compared with past variants …
