Los Angeles, California – California is experiencing an uptick in COVID-19 cases linked to the emergence of a new subvariant, even as federal vaccine policy undergoes a significant shift. The NB.1.8.1 subvariant, nicknamed “Nimbus,” is rapidly spreading and becoming dominant across the state, with health officials warning of its painful hallmark symptom: an intensely sore throat likened by some patients to swallowing razor blades.
Though this so-called “razor blade throat” is not an entirely new symptom, its prominence in international reports, particularly from China, has renewed concern. “People are focusing on these other aspects of symptoms,” said Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, an infectious disease expert at UC San Francisco, noting that severe sore throat has replaced earlier symptoms like loss of taste and smell in many cases. It sounds brutal.
Nimbus now accounts for more than half of COVID cases in California, up from just 2% in April, according to the state Department of Public Health. Nationally, it’s neck-and-neck with another Omicron descendant, LP.8.1, each accounting for nearly 40% of cases. Wastewater data across Southern California reveals mixed signals: Santa Barbara is seeing moderate-to-high viral levels, San Bernardino is reporting high activity, and Los Angeles County has logged a 13% increase in viral concentration over recent weeks…