WHO Deems New COVID Strain a ‘Variant Under Monitoring’ Amid Resurgence in China

The World Health Organization says that the risk to public health posed by the variant is currently low.

This undated electron microscope image made available by the U.S. National Institutes of Health in February 2020 shows the Novel Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, which causes COVID-19, in yellow, emerging from the surface of cells, colored blue and pink, cultured in the lab. NIAID-RML/AP/The Canadian Press

The World Health Organization (WHO) has said that a new COVID-19 variant has been designated as a “variant under monitoring” amid reports indicating a resurgence of the virus in mainland China.

A document that was uploaded to the United Nations’ health body’s website on May 23 said that as of that date, the NB.1.8.1 variant is considered to have a low risk to public health “at the global level.”