Sunak visits Bengaluru’s Raghavendra Swami Mutt with family

A new Covid variant originating in Asia is now spreading across the United States, raising questions about its impact and how widely it has spread. Known as NB.1.8.1, this omicron subvariant has been detected in several US states following a recent surge in cases in China. Despite its presence, another strain, LP.8.1, which descends from JN.1, remains the dominant variant in the country at present.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is closely monitoring NB.1.8.1 and maintains regular communication with international health authorities. An agency spokesperson confirmed to The Independent that while the CDC is aware of cases linked to NB.1.8.1 in China, there have been too few sequences identified in the US for it to appear on official federal variant tracking dashboards. However, the variant’s spread has caused significant increases in hospital admissions and emergency room visits in parts of Asia, prompting public health officials to watch its progression carefully.