Be Prepared For Highly Transmissible COVID Variant NB.1.8.1

I have never underestimated COVID, which is why I still get my COVID boosters and why I still wear a mask. I have never had COVID, and I hope I never get it.

And just because the number of cases of COVID variant NB.1.8.1 is small right now, it doesn't mean it will remain small. I still can remember first being aware of the 2020 COVID virus when there were only 67 cases in the United States. You remember what happened after that.

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By Jackie Roman at NJ.com, 6/6/25 

New COVID variant is spreading. Don’t underestimate it, experts say.

"A new COVID-19 variant is emerging globally and infectious disease experts warn it’s not to be underestimated.

"On May 23, the World Health Organization officially designated NB.1.8.1 a “variant under monitoring,” according to a risk evaluation of the variant. 

"At least 518 cases of NB.1.8.1 have been reported to the Global Initiative on Sharing All Influenza Data from 22 countries as of May 18.

"The variant, part of the Omicron family, has been detected in Canada, China, Germany, Singapore, and right here in the United States. At least 10 states — including California, Hawaii, and New York — have reported cases, according to the Global Initiative on Sharing All Influenza Data. 

"As of this week, no cases have been reported in New Jersey.

“CDC is aware of reported cases of COVID-19 NB.1.8.1 in China and is in regular contact with international partners,” a CDC spokesperson said in a statement to NJ Advance Media.

"The spokesperson added that there has not been enough cases in the U.S. to meet the threshold for inclusion in the COVID Data Tracker dashboard yet.

“We monitor all SARS-CoV-2 sequences, and if it increases in proportion, it will appear on the Data Tracker dashboard,” the spokesperson said.

"Although the public health risk posed by NB.1.8.1 is evaluated as low at the global level, infectious disease experts said the virus could spread quickly. Here’s everything you need to know to stay ahead of the curve.

Why is there yet another new strain?

"It’s normal for viruses like COVID-19, HIV, and influenza to mutate over time, according to infectious disease experts.

“These mutations can create new versions of the virus, some of which may differ significantly from earlier strains. This is a fundamental principle of virology,” said Dr. Perry Halkitis, an infectious disease epidemiologist and dean of the Rutgers School of Public Health.

“As long as the virus continues to circulate, we will keep seeing new variants,” said Halkitis.

How quickly will it spread?

"NB.1.8.1 is growing rapidly compared to other variants, according to the WHO.

"The virus is more prevalent in other countries than the U.S. right now. But that could quickly change, said Dr. Edward Liu, chief of infectious diseases at Hackensack Meridian Jersey Shore University Medical Center.

“This has been an international virus from the start,” said Liu. “People sick on airplanes were early transmitters of the virus in the first wave. So, air travel means that international problems are still something that we have to monitor.”

Is this variant more dangerous than others?

"Clinical surveillance data doesn’t indicate any signs of increased severity associated with NB.1.8.1 so far, compared to previously circulating variants, according to the WHO.

"Currently, there is no evidence of increased ICU admissions and deaths per hospitalizations. However, that doesn’t mean the virus isn’t a threat, especially to the immunocompromised or the unvaccinated, according to public health experts.

“I think natural infection immunity is waning. If the last time you had COVID was years ago, you probably don’t have much immunity. And the last vaccine for a lot of people may have been several years ago,” said Liu.

Does the COVID-19 vaccine protect against new strains?

"Currently approved COVID-19 vaccines are expected to remain effective against symptomatic and severe disease from this variant, according to the WHO.

"However, the WHO adds, compared to other variants circulating, NB.1.8.1 has mutations that could increase the variant’s transmissibility.

“This one stood out because vaccine-created antibodies may be slightly less effective neutralizing these viruses than some other variants,” Liu said.

"The CDC recently updated its COVID-19 vaccine recommendations. The agency no longer recommends vaccines for healthy children under 18 and for pregnant women.

Will it increase this summer?

"Don’t cancel those summer plans just yet.

“It’s unlikely that this variant will ‘ruin’ the summer, especially because warmer months bring more outdoor activity and better ventilation, which reduce transmission risk,” said Halkitis.

"The real concern, Halkitis said, will come in the fall when people begin to gather indoors again—in schools, offices, and other enclosed spaces.

“COVID-19 remains a real and ongoing threat,” said Halkitis, adding that vaccines remain the greatest defense against illness.

“Vaccines work and have enhanced our longevity and quality of life,” said Halkitis.