David 
Thanks to China you may need to get ready for the newest strain of Covi
The newest Covid variant is Nimbus (NB.1.8.1) a mutation of the Omicron variant. While touted as highly infectious, it doesn’t seem to cause hospitalizations or deaths at the levels seen with the original variant of delta. The overall severity of the variant has been marked as low.
This variant was first detected in China in January 2025. In the two-week period that ended June 21, Nimbus accounted for an estimated 43% of COVID cases in the U.S. according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Nimbus can evade antibodies created by past infections or jabs even more easily than omicron (LP.8.1). Thus, It is apt to spread more rapidly.
The most common Nimbus symptoms are dry cough and shortness of breath. The signature symptom is a razor sharp sore throat. Patients have reported a sore throat so severe that it felt like swallowing “sharp metal objects”. The throat is so sore it often leaves those infected with a hoarse voice. The sore throat shows up about 24-48 hours after you are infected, https://bestlifeonline.com/razor-blade-throat-nb181-covid-spread/
According to the CDC, all other possible Nimbus symptoms include:
- Fever or chills
- Cough
- Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
- Congestion or runny nose
- New loss of taste or smell
- Fatigue
- Muscle or body aches
- Headache
- Nausea or vomiting
https://www.star-telegram.com/news/state/texas/article307971540.htmlDiarrhea
It’s interesting to see the loss of smell or taste a signature symptom of the original delta variant. However, it is only seen in 6-7% of those who contract Nimbus. It is therefore not a reliable indicator of Nimbus as you could have it without the loss of smell or the loss of smell may be due to something else. It is not known why this particular symptom has decreased over time although it is thought a higher immunity to the virus could be a factor. https://news.vcu.edu/article/2023/06/risk-of-smell-loss-from-covid-19-is-as-low-as-6-compared-with-initial-variants
While I cannot find a specific number of Nimbus infections in our state, here is a graph from Alaska Public Health that displays respiratory infections through the 31st of May 2025. With this particular variant multiplying quickly and being highly infectious, I am sure it is here in Alaska.
https://health.alaska.gov/en/resources/respiratory-virus-snapshot
It is best to simply think it is already here and to be aware of the symptoms should you be exposed. The CDC expects numbers to rise during the summer months; and we have lots of visitors coming from all over the world to assist in the spread.
For the razor sharp sore throat:
- Drink warm (not hot) tea to soothe the throat lining.
- Add moisture to your room to avoid irritation in the throat.
- Eat light and slightly overcooked foods to ease swallowing.
- Do saltwater gargles to relieve throat pain and swelling.
- Look for lozenges with Menthol, Dyclonine, or Benzocaine, as these numb the area for some time, providing relief.
Like previous episodes of Covid, the treatment remains the same. Rest, fluids, painkillers, throat lozenges. If symptoms worsen, seek medical help.
Your contagious time will be from a few days before symptoms to eight to 10 days after.
Many people recover from symptoms like congestion, sore throat and cough in about two weeks. But tiredness, shortness of breath and other symptoms can linger for weeks or even months afterwards. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/21214-coronavirus-covid-19
The World Health Organization stated they thought the previous jab would work on this new variant. The data from the CDC on the effectiveness of that jab against emergency room visits or urgent care visits was about 33%. The CDC doesn’t say if it were effective at preventing you from getting Nimbus; the jab just prevented emergency room or urgent care visits. https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/74/wr/mm7406a1.htm
Nimbus is nimble. It is highly contagious. More like a serious cold.
Meanwhile, what will be the next Covid variant? Will anyone ever be held accountable for Covid?
