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New Covid strain discovered in UK as health chiefs reveal 'unusual' symptoms
The full list of symptoms caused by the new NB.1.8.1 strain of coronavirus, which has been detected in at least seven people in Northern Ireland, has been announced
The exhaustive list of symptoms associated with the new strain of Covid-19 has been released as it is detected in a UK region.
Seven people have been diagnosed with the new NB.1.8.1 strain in Northern Ireland, according to data from the Public Health Agency. Many of the symptoms are the same as the previous Covid strain's but also comes with some more unusual signs that aren't always associated with the virus.
Dr Lara Herrero, Associate Professor and Virology Research Leader at Griffith University, said: "Common symptoms include sore throat, fatigue, fever, mild cough, muscle aches and nasal congestion. Gastrointestinal symptoms may also occur in some cases."
Gastrointestinal symptoms can include abdominal pain, bloating, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation and heartburn.
The full list of possible symptoms is as follows:
a high temperature or shivering (chills) – a high temperature means you feel hot to touch on your chest or back (you do not need to measure your temperature)
a new, continuous cough – this means coughing a lot for more than an hour, or 3 or more coughing episodes in 24 hours
a loss or change to your sense of smell or taste
shortness of breath
feeling tired or exhausted
an aching body
a headache
a sore throat
a blocked or runny nose
loss of appetite
diarrhoea
feeling sick or being sick
NB.1.8.1 has been officially designated a 'variant under monitoring' by the WHO due to its rapid rise and the potential to evade immunity from previous infections or vaccines. It's already the dominant strain in Hong Kong and China, and has been detected in Australia, the US and across popular holiday destinations including Egypt, Thailand and the Maldives.
According to WHO data, the strain has jumped from 2.5% to 10.7% of submitted global sequences in just four weeks, which has prompted growing international concern.
A WHO spokesperson said: "SARS-CoV-2 continues to evolve, and between January and May 2025, there were shifts in global SARS-CoV-2 variant dynamics. At the beginning of the year, the most prevalent variant tracked by WHO at the global level was XEC, followed by KP.3.1.1.
"In February, circulation of XEC began to decline while that of LP.8.1 increased, with the latter becoming the most detected variant in mid-March. Since mid-April, the circulation of LP.8.1 has been slightly declining as NB.1.8.1 is increasingly being detected."
Experts say NB.1.8.1 carries multiple mutations that "may infect cells more efficiently than earlier strains".
Dr Lara Herrero explained: "It's possible a person infected with NB.1.8.1 may be more likely to pass the virus on to someone else, compared to earlier variants. The evidence so far suggests NB.1.8.1 may spread more easily and may partially sidestep immunity from prior infections or vaccination. These factors could explain its rise in sequencing data.
"But importantly, the WHO has not yet observed any evidence it causes more severe disease compared to other variants. Reports suggest symptoms of NB.1.8.1 should align closely with other Omicron subvariants."
Daily Star Sunday
The full list of symptoms caused by the new NB.1.8.1 strain of coronavirus, which has been detected in at least seven people in Northern Ireland, has been announced
The exhaustive list of symptoms associated with the new strain of Covid-19 has been released as it is detected in a UK region.
Seven people have been diagnosed with the new NB.1.8.1 strain in Northern Ireland, according to data from the Public Health Agency. Many of the symptoms are the same as the previous Covid strain's but also comes with some more unusual signs that aren't always associated with the virus.
Dr Lara Herrero, Associate Professor and Virology Research Leader at Griffith University, said: "Common symptoms include sore throat, fatigue, fever, mild cough, muscle aches and nasal congestion. Gastrointestinal symptoms may also occur in some cases."
Gastrointestinal symptoms can include abdominal pain, bloating, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation and heartburn.
The full list of possible symptoms is as follows:
a high temperature or shivering (chills) – a high temperature means you feel hot to touch on your chest or back (you do not need to measure your temperature)
a new, continuous cough – this means coughing a lot for more than an hour, or 3 or more coughing episodes in 24 hours
a loss or change to your sense of smell or taste
shortness of breath
feeling tired or exhausted
an aching body
a headache
a sore throat
a blocked or runny nose
loss of appetite
diarrhoea
feeling sick or being sick
NB.1.8.1 has been officially designated a 'variant under monitoring' by the WHO due to its rapid rise and the potential to evade immunity from previous infections or vaccines. It's already the dominant strain in Hong Kong and China, and has been detected in Australia, the US and across popular holiday destinations including Egypt, Thailand and the Maldives.
According to WHO data, the strain has jumped from 2.5% to 10.7% of submitted global sequences in just four weeks, which has prompted growing international concern.
A WHO spokesperson said: "SARS-CoV-2 continues to evolve, and between January and May 2025, there were shifts in global SARS-CoV-2 variant dynamics. At the beginning of the year, the most prevalent variant tracked by WHO at the global level was XEC, followed by KP.3.1.1.
"In February, circulation of XEC began to decline while that of LP.8.1 increased, with the latter becoming the most detected variant in mid-March. Since mid-April, the circulation of LP.8.1 has been slightly declining as NB.1.8.1 is increasingly being detected."
Experts say NB.1.8.1 carries multiple mutations that "may infect cells more efficiently than earlier strains".
Dr Lara Herrero explained: "It's possible a person infected with NB.1.8.1 may be more likely to pass the virus on to someone else, compared to earlier variants. The evidence so far suggests NB.1.8.1 may spread more easily and may partially sidestep immunity from prior infections or vaccination. These factors could explain its rise in sequencing data.
"But importantly, the WHO has not yet observed any evidence it causes more severe disease compared to other variants. Reports suggest symptoms of NB.1.8.1 should align closely with other Omicron subvariants."
Daily Star Sunday