New COVID variant NB.1.8.1 sparks fresh concern as US observes evolution of vaccination and preventive strategies

A newly emerging COVID-19 variant, NB.1.8.1, is rapidly gaining ground across Asia and has now made its way into the United States — prompting scientists and health officials to reassess their vaccine playbook ahead of the coming winter season.

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The variant, a descendant of the JN.1 lineage, has triggered a sharp spike in cases in China and is now showing up in passengers arriving at American airports, including those in California, Washington, Virginia and the New York area. Sequencing data from the CDC’s airport screening programme, in partnership with Ginkgo Bioworks, reveals that infected travellers came from a wide range of countries — including Japan, Thailand, Vietnam, France, the Netherlands and Taiwan.

Though still relatively new, NB.1.8.1 has swiftly become the dominant strain in China and is spreading through Asia. Hong Kong health officials say COVID-related A&E visits have surged to their highest levels in over a year, while Taiwan has also reported rising hospitalisations and deaths. In response, authorities in both regions are reinstating measures like mask-wearing and building up stockpiles of vaccines and antiviral treatments, according to CBS News.

So far, there is no sign that NB.1.8.1 causes more severe illness than previous strains. But what it lacks in evasiveness, it may make up for in speed. Early research from China suggests the variant binds more effectively to human cells, which could make it more contagious than its predecessors.