A dangerous new Covid variant from China is surging in California, health officials warn.
The California Department of Public Health warned this week the highly contagious NB.1.8.1 strain has been detected in the state, making it the sixth US state to be exposed.
The variant has also been detected in international travelers arriving in Washington state, Virginia, Hawaii, Rhode Island and New York City since March.
Health officials said the variant was first detected in March and has been on the rise since May 1.
Since April, NB.1.8.1 has increased from two percent of Covid cases in California to 19 percent, according to health department data.
Lab tests suggest NB.1.8.1, which was first detected in January in China, is more infectious than currently circulating strains, which means it could lead to a spike in infections and hospital admissions.
World Health Organization data also suggests it makes up more than half the variants currently circulating.
The warning comes as some physicians in California have called for the return of mask mandates to emulate countries like Hong Kong.
The California Department of Public Health told The Sacremento Bee: 'COVID-19 continues to circulate in California and future seasonal increases in disease levels are likely.'
NB.1.8.1 is not yet prevalent enough in the US to be publicly tracked by the CDC. Strain LP.8.1 is currently the most dominant in the US, making up 73 percent of Covid infections.
The latest vaccines target the JN.1 variant, which LP.8.1 is descended from.
The California Public Health Department said: 'Currently available vaccines are expected to remain effective.'
However, health secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr has moved to remove access to the Covid vaccine for healthy children and pregnant women.
However, it is currently still on the CDC's children's vaccine schedule.
Covid tests in California as of April 19, the latest data available, show 2.1 percent of tests came back positive, a steady rate compared to weeks prior.
The rate of hospitalizations from Covid during the week of April 19 in California was 1.3 per 100,000 people, a slight decrease from 1.6 per 100,000 the week before.
There is usually a delay of several weeks for the most recent data, and infections can take several weeks to result in hospitalization.
Nationally, Covid test positivity has decreased from 2.9 percent May 17 to 2.7 percent the week of May 24. Covid-related emergency department visits have also decreased 6.5 percent during that time frame.
In China, data shows the proportion of severely ill respiratory patients with Covid has jumped from 3.3 to 6.3 percent over the last month.
The proportion of Chinese ER patients testing positive for Covid had jumped from 7.5 to 16.2 percent.
Officials in Taiwan are also reporting a surge in Covid emergency room admissions, with the number rising 78 percent in a week over the seven-days to May 3, according to the latest data available.
And hospitalizations have risen to a 12-month high in Hong Kong, thought to be driven by the new variant.
Symptoms of NB.1.8.1 are similar to other variants and include fever, chills, cough, shortness of breath, fatigue, muscle aches, headache, loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.
Covid swabs cannot detect which variant you have.
News
Researchers propose five key questions for effective adoption of AI in clinical practice
While Artificial Intelligence (AI) can be a powerful tool that physicians can use to help diagnose their patients and has great potential to improve accuracy, efficiency and patient safety, it has its drawbacks. It [...]
Advancements and clinical translation of intelligent nanodrugs for breast cancer treatment
A comprehensive review in "Biofunct. Mater." meticulously details the most recent advancements and clinical translation of intelligent nanodrugs for breast cancer treatment. This paper presents an exhaustive overview of subtype-specific nanostrategies, the clinical benefits [...]
It’s Not “All in Your Head”: Scientists Develop Revolutionary Blood Test for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
A 96% accurate blood test for ME/CFS could transform diagnosis and pave the way for future long COVID detection. Researchers from the University of East Anglia and Oxford Biodynamics have created a highly accurate [...]
How Far Can the Body Go? Scientists Find the Ultimate Limit of Human Endurance
Even the most elite endurance athletes can’t outrun biology. A new study finds that humans hit a metabolic ceiling at about 2.5 times their resting energy burn. When ultra-runners take on races that last [...]
World’s Rivers “Overdosing” on Human Antibiotics, Study Finds
Researchers estimate that approximately 8,500 tons of antibiotics enter river systems each year after passing through the human body and wastewater treatment processes. Rivers spanning millions of kilometers across the globe are contaminated with [...]
Yale Scientists Solve a Century-Old Brain Wave Mystery
Yale scientists traced gamma brain waves to thalamus-cortex interactions. The discovery could reveal how brain rhythms shape perception and disease. For more than a century, scientists have observed rhythmic waves of synchronized neuronal activity [...]
Can introducing peanuts early prevent allergies? Real-world data confirms it helps
New evidence from a large U.S. primary care network shows that early peanut introduction, endorsed in 2015 and 2017 guidelines, was followed by a marked decline in clinician-diagnosed peanut and overall food allergies among [...]
Nanoparticle blueprints reveal path to smarter medicines
Lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) are the delivery vehicles of modern medicine, carrying cancer drugs, gene therapies and vaccines into cells. Until recently, many scientists assumed that all LNPs followed more or less the same blueprint, [...]
How nanomedicine and AI are teaming up to tackle neurodegenerative diseases
When I first realized the scale of the challenge posed by neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), I felt simultaneously humbled and motivated. These disorders are not caused [...]
Self-Organizing Light Could Transform Computing and Communications
USC engineers have demonstrated a new kind of optical device that lets light organize its own route using the principles of thermodynamics. Instead of relying on switches or digital control, the light finds its own [...]
Groundbreaking New Way of Measuring Blood Pressure Could Save Thousands of Lives
A new method that improves the accuracy of interpreting blood pressure measurements taken at the ankle could be vital for individuals who are unable to have their blood pressure measured on the arm. A newly developed [...]
Scientist tackles key roadblock for AI in drug discovery
The drug development pipeline is a costly and lengthy process. Identifying high-quality "hit" compounds—those with high potency, selectivity, and favorable metabolic properties—at the earliest stages is important for reducing cost and accelerating the path [...]
Nanoplastics with environmental coatings can sneak past the skin’s defenses
Plastic is ubiquitous in the modern world, and it's notorious for taking a long time to completely break down in the environment - if it ever does. But even without breaking down completely, plastic [...]
Chernobyl scientists discover black fungus feeding on deadly radiation
It looks pretty sinister, but it might actually be incredibly helpful When reactor number four in Chernobyl exploded, it triggered the worst nuclear disaster in history, one which the surrounding area still has not [...]
Long COVID Is Taking A Silent Toll On Mental Health, Here’s What Experts Say
Months after recovering from COVID-19, many people continue to feel unwell. They speak of exhaustion that doesn’t fade, difficulty breathing, or an unsettling mental haze. What’s becoming increasingly clear is that recovery from the [...]
Study Delivers Cancer Drugs Directly to the Tumor Nucleus
A new peptide-based nanotube treatment sneaks chemo into drug-resistant cancer cells, providing a unique workaround to one of oncology’s toughest hurdles. CiQUS researchers have developed a novel molecular strategy that allows a chemotherapy drug to [...]
