'Razor Blade Throat' COVID Subvariant Emerges: What To Know In IL

ILLINOIS— A new COVID-19 subvariant born from Omicron has become the dominant strain in the U.S. and cases have been reported in Illinois in recent weeks.

Dubbed "Nimbus" (NB.181), the highly contagious version of coronavirus is characterized by its extremely painful sore throat, described as "razor blade throat" overseas.

As of June 13, Nimbus has been detected in at least 14 states: Arizona, California, Colorado, New Jersey, New York, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Ohio, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, and Washington, according to data from the Global Initiative on Sharing All Influenza Data database.

The Illinois Department of Public Health stopped publicly tracking COVID-19 variant data in 2022, but reported that COVID-19 was responsible for .28 percent of hospital admissions for the week of June 7, down .04 percent from the week of May 31. COVID-19 was responsible for .2 percent of emergency department visits and a total of five ICU admissions for the same week, IDPH said.

Illinois did not report any COVID-19-related deaths over the week of June 7. However, IDPH reported 21 deaths for which COVID-19 was listed as a contributing factor in May.

Will It Be as Bad as the Summer of '22?

Those who have contracted the "Nimbus" strain and similar variants have described intense throat pain, akin to having a throat lined with shards of glass.

“It’s hard to predict whether this variant or another will take off and cause a wave ... but it's likely that it won’t be as severe as what we experienced before 2023,” Dr. Albert Ko, professor of public health, epidemiology and medicine at Yale School of Public Health, told NBC.

As of the first week of June, only 2.5 percent of people who were tested for COVID-19 in Illinois tested positive, according to IDPH — much lower than other respiratory illnesses including rhinoviros (19.6 percent) and parainfluenza (11.5 percent).

Currently, IDPH ranks the state's respiratory illness level as "very low."

IDPH Responds To Vaccine Changes

The subvariant is spreading as federal authorities dramatically scaled back the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's vaccine recommendations. Now, the CDC does not offer guidance on whether pregnant women should get a COVID vaccine. The guidance also asks parents to consult a doctor before getting their children vaccinated.

The U.S. Health Secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who is a known vaccine skeptic, also shook up the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices on June 11, drawing criticism from many in the public health and medical communities.

Kennedy announced eight new members to serve on the committee after removing all 17 of the previous members.

Health experts have also noted that multiple new committee members appointed on June 11 have voiced anti-vaccine views that are not evidence-based.

IDPH Director Sameer Vohra responded to the changes last month, noting, "IDPH reviewed national and state data as well as convened subject matter experts in the field of pediatric infectious diseases and population health ... At this time, IDPH concurs with the position of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) to maintain access to vaccination and advises providers to use shared clinical decision making for children with no underlying risk factors."

Vohra continued in a news release, "IDPH is aligned with the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) and the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine (SMFM) recommendations that all pregnant people continue to receive COVID-19 vaccines."

Vohra noted, "We strongly urge clinicians and pharmacy providers to be familiar with all underlying conditions eligible for COVID-19 vaccine regardless of age or pregnancy status, including lesser-known ones such as physical inactivity, former smoking, or mood disorders."

With reporting from Justin Heinze, Patch Staff