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

MARYLAND — A new COVID-19 subvariant born from Omicron has become the dominant strain in the U.S. and cases have been spreading in Maryland 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.

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

There were 89 COVID deaths reported in the state from March through May, according to the Centers for Disease Control. About 1.8 percent of people testing for COVID were positive last week.

To date, a total of four cases of the new variant have been identified in Maryland, although other cases have probably occurred among people who chose not to get tested for COVID, according to David McCallister with the Maryland Department of Health. Two of the four patients who were confirmed to have the NB.1.8.1 variant were hospitalized; none have died.

There is no indication that the NB.1.8.1 variant does not respond to antivirals that treat COVID, McCallister said. Anyone with COVID who is at risk for severe illness can obtain treatments to reduce your chances of being hospitalized or dying from the disease. Older adults (ages 50 years or more, with risk increasing with age) and people with medical conditions — such as chronic lung disease, heart disease, or a weakened immune system — are more likely to get very sick from COVID.

"Even if symptoms are mild, anyone with risk factors should contact their health provider right away to see if they are eligible for oral antiviral medications," McCallister said. "A healthcare provider will help decide which treatment, if any, is right for you. Treatments are most effective if started within 5 days of symptoms."

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

“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.

“Before Omicron, I think most people presented with the usual loss of taste and smell as the predominant symptom and shortness of breath,” Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, a UC San Francisco infectious disease expert told the Los Angeles Times.

These days, those sickened by COVID are less likely to be hospitalized, but patients tend to focus on other symptoms, such as a painful sore throat, Chin-Hong said.

Nimbus, which originated in China, accounts for an estimated 37 percent of cases nationwide, according to data collected over two weeks starting on June 7.

“What sets NB.1.8.1 apart is how quickly it spreads,” said Dr. Magdalena Sobieszczyk, chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases at NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center.

“It has a genetic advantage: mutations that make it easy for it to bind to receptors on human cells. The mutations could allow NB.1.8.1 to spread faster and therefore infect more people.”

An uptick in cases is arriving just as the summer travel season is about to begin in Maryland.

What To Expect Amid Summer Travel

“We will probably see a spike in COVID cases this summer because people may be traveling more,” Sobieszczyk said. “But any huge spike will be offset by people engaging in outdoor activities, in areas with more ventilation.”

Luckily, experts say that the traditional methods of warding off COVID-19 are effective against Nimbus, such as vaccination, wearing a mask and washing hands.

Nimbus first reached the U.S. likely in March, around when it was first detected through airport screening programs for international travelers, TODAY reported.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's airport screening program has detected cases of the NB.1.8.1 variant. CBS News said the virus has been reported in international travelers at airports in Virginia, California, Washington state, and the New York City area, citing records from the CDC's airport testing partner Ginkgo Bioworks.

The Nimbus variant has been spreading rapidly in China and Hong Kong, said Health.com. As of May 28, NB.1.8.1 had been confirmed in 22 countries.

The variant doesn't cause more severe cases of Covid than other strains, the website sai.

Most people with NB.1.8.1 can expect to feel symptoms including:

• Fever or chills
• Cough
• Sore throat
• Congestion
• Fatigue
• Difficulty breathing
• Diarrhea

Spread Comes As CDC Scales Back Vaccine Guidance

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.

Abram Wagner of the University of Michigan’s school of public health, who investigates vaccination programs, said he’s not satisfied with the composition of the committee.

“The previous ACIP was made up of technical experts who have spent their lives studying vaccines,” he said. Most people on the current list “don’t have the technical capacity that we would expect out of people who would have to make really complicated decisions involving interpreting complicated scientific data.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.