A newly emerging strain of COVID-19, dubbed the “razor blade throat” variant due to its intensely painful sore throat symptom, is being linked to a recent spike in global cases. Officially named NB.1.8.1—or “Nimbus”—this variant is drawing attention from health officials in the United Kingdom, India, and several other countries.
The nickname comes from reports of severe throat pain resembling the sensation of swallowing razor blades, a symptom increasingly identified by doctors treating patients infected with the variant. While sore throats have long been associated with COVID-19, this symptom has taken a noticeably more aggressive form in those carrying the Nimbus strain.
Despite these alarming symptoms, global health authorities remain calm. According to a World Health Organization (WHO) update released on May 28, the recent rise in infections was primarily observed in the eastern Mediterranean, Southeast Asia, and western Pacific regions. The Nimbus variant accounted for nearly 11% of all sequenced COVID-19 samples worldwide by mid-May.
Airport surveillance in the United States has already picked up the variant in travelers arriving from affected regions. Positive cases have been detected in California, Washington, Virginia, and New York. So far, these findings are limited and localized, with no indication of widespread community transmission.
“While some countries in the western Pacific region have reported upticks in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations, there is currently no evidence suggesting that the disease severity associated with the Nimbus variant exceeds that of previous strains,” the WHO said in its statement.
The organization has categorized Nimbus as a “variant under monitoring” and assessed the global public health risk as low. They emphasized that current COVID-19 vaccines are still expected to offer effective protection against this strain.
However, the conversation around COVID-19 vaccines has recently grown more contentious. U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. made headlines last month by announcing that COVID-19 vaccinations are no longer recommended for healthy children and pregnant women—a controversial move swiftly challenged by the broader public health community.
Typical symptoms for all COVID-19 variants still include fever, chills, persistent cough, shortness of breath, and the loss of taste or smell. But the emergence of “razor blade throat” as a standout symptom of the Nimbus variant is giving doctors a new red flag to monitor during diagnoses.
As the summer travel season continues and international movement increases, health officials are urging the public to stay vigilant—but not panicked—as they continue to monitor and study the spread of this new variant.