New COVID Variant NB.1.8.1 Starting to Spread Worldwide: What We Know

Officials in several countries near China have expressed concern about the variant.

A laboratory technician works on samples to be tested for COVID-19 at the Fire Eye laboratory, a COVID-19 testing facility, in Wuhan, China, on Aug. 5, 2021. STR/AFP via Getty Images

The World Health Organization (WHO) has said that the variant of the virus that causes COVID-19 called NB.1.8.1 is causing more infections worldwide, as China’s health agency said it’s the dominant variant.

The new strain was named as a “variant under monitoring” by the UN health body last week, and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) confirmed a small number of cases were circulating in the United States.

WHO Says New Variant Spreading

WHO said in an update on May 28 that the variant is driving up cases in parts of the world and is currently spreading in Southeast Asia, the western Pacific regions, and the Mediterranean.