A new variant of COVID-19 may be driving up cases in some parts of the world, WHO says

6 days ago 3

A caller variant of COVID-19 is circulating successful parts of the satellite and whitethorn beryllium driving an summation successful cases successful the eastbound Mediterranean, Southeast Asia and occidental Pacific regions

ByCARLA K. JOHNSON AP aesculapian writer

COVID-19 cases are rising again arsenic a caller variant begins to circulate successful immoderate parts of the world. The World Health Organization said Wednesday the emergence successful cases is chiefly successful the eastbound Mediterranean, Southeast Asia and occidental Pacific regions.

Airport screening in the United States has detected the caller variant successful travelers arriving from those regions to destinations successful California, Washington state, Virginia and New York.

The caller variant is called NB.1.8.1. It arrives arsenic the United States’ authoritative stance connected COVID-19 vaccination is changing. On Tuesday, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced that COVID-19 shots are nary longer recommended for steadfast children and large women — a determination instantly questioned by respective nationalist wellness experts.

The caller variant, expanding globally, had by mid-May reached astir 11% of sequenced samples reported. The WHO has designated it a “variant nether monitoring” and considers the public wellness hazard debased astatine the planetary level with existent vaccines expected to stay effective.

The WHO said immoderate occidental Pacific countries person reported increases successful COVID cases and hospitalizations, but there’s thing truthful acold to suggest that the illness associated with the caller variant is much terrible compared to different variants.

The variant called LP.8.1 is presently the ascendant mentation successful the U.S. and globally. ___

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