'Razer throat': New Covid variant 'Nimbus' in US is causing very painful symptom. Check details

A new Covid-19 variant spreading across the United States may cause an extremely painful sore throat- called the "razor throat". The new Covid variant called NB.1.8.1 is spreading across Asia and could account for up to one-third of cases, according to health officials.

The variant- informally referred to as "Nimbus"- made up an estimated 37% of cases in the U.S. during a two-week period ending June 7, as stated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), according to Fox News. The variant was first detected in China and was classified as a variant "under monitoring" by the World Health Organization (WHO) in May.

US sees new Covid variant 'Nimbus'

Multiple US states including California and New York have been witnessing a rise in NB 1.8.1 with reports of the variant increasing globally. Nimbus appears to be more easily transmissible, but not more virulent.


ALSO READ: Patients infected with the Nimbus variant have reported an intense sore throat, often described as feeling like swallowing shards of glass

Fox News' senior medical analyst Dr. Marc Siegel said the new Covid variant NB 1.8.1 generally doesn't make people sicker than other variants. A CDC spokesperson told Newsweek there is a significant increase since late May, adding that there had so far been "fewer than 20 sequences of NB.1.8.1 in the U.S. baseline surveillance data to date, so it has not met the threshold for inclusion in the COVID Data Tracker dashboard."

What is razor blade throat?

"Many of the COVID subvariants have a characteristic feature," Siegel said, noting that Nimbus has been known to cause a "razor-sharp" sore throat. Patients have been reporting extremely painful sore throats, with some comparing the sensation to swallowing razor blades or glass. Reports from Chinese media via the LA Times indicate that symptoms of "razor throat" and coughing appear more prevalent with the new strain that is predecessors.

This variant is characterized by a particularly severe sore throat symptom described as feeling like ‘razor blades’, alongside traditional flu-like symptoms such as congestion, fatigue, mild cough, fever, and muscle aches. Less common symptoms include diarrhea and nausea.

ALSO READ: Jeff Bezos-Lauren Sanchez's lavish and star-studded $10-million wedding faces big hurdle in Venice

Kenneth Perry, M.D., an ER physician in South Carolina, told Fox News Digital the predominant symptoms of each COVID strain have changed and morphed. "With some variants, fever and body aches were more prominent, where other strains had almost no symptoms at all," he told Fox News Digital. "With the new variant, it appears that the sore throat is yet again a prominent symptom." The sore throat is caused by the direct infection of the cells of the throat, causing irritation, according to Perry.

According to the CDC but the following symptoms are common with COVID-19 in general:

Fever or chills
Cough
Shortness of breath
Sore throat
Congestion, runny nose
New loss of taste or smell
Fatigue
Muscle or body aches
Headache
Nausea or vomiting
Diarrhea

ALSO READ: As World War III fear looms, Trump clashes with Karoline Leavitt as he makes quick escape from G7 Summit

Infectious disease expert and CEO of Wellness and Equity Alliance, Dr. Tyler B Evans, previously told Newsweek that there was "no clear evidence that this subvariant presents dramatically different symptoms from other recent strains.

"We're still seeing common indicators like sore throat, nasal congestion, fatigue, and cough," he said. "In some cases, especially among unvaccinated or immunocompromised individuals, symptoms can escalate to more severe respiratory distress."