- READ MORE: Doctors call for FACE MASKS to return as new Covid strain hits US
A perilous new coronavirus strain has emerged. China is surging in California , health officials warn.
This week, the California Department of Public Health issued a warning about the detection of the highly infectious NB.1.8.1 variant within the state, marking it as the sixth U.S. state to report cases of this strain.
The variant has also been detected in international travelers arriving in Washington state , Virginia , Hawaii , Rhode Island and New York City since March.
Health authorities stated that this variant was initially identified in March and has been increasing since May 1st.
Starting from April, as per health department records, NB.1.8.1 has risen from constituting two percent of COVID cases in California to accounting for 19 percent.
Laboratory tests indicate that NB.1.8.1, initially identified in January in China, is more infectious than currently circulating strains, which means it could lead to a spike in infections and hospital admissions.
World Health Organization The data indicates that it accounts for over fifty percent of the current circulating variants.
The caution arises as several doctors in California have sought the reinstatement of mask requirements to mimic the example set by places such as Hong Kong.
The California Department of Public Health informed The Sacremento Bee : ' COVID-19 is expected to keep circulating in California, with potential future rises in disease levels.'
NB.1.8.1 has not become widespread enough in the U.S. for the CDC to track it publicly. Currently, strain LP.8.1 is predominant in the country, accounting for 73 percent of COVID cases.
The most recent vaccines are designed for the JN.1 variant, from which LP.8.1 descends.
The California Public Health Department stated: "The vaccines currently in use are anticipated to continue being effective."
Nevertheless, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has moved to remove access to the Covid vaccine For the well-being of healthy children and expectant mothers.
However, it is currently still on the CDC's children's vaccine schedule .
As of April 19, which represents the most recent data available for California, Covid test results indicate that 2.1% were positive. This percentage remains consistent with the rates observed in previous weeks.
During the week starting April 19, the hospitalization rate for COVID-19 in California stood at 1.3 cases per 100,000 individuals, marking a minor decline from the previous week’s figure of 1.6 cases per 100,000 people.
Typically, there is a lag of multiple weeks for the latest data to be available, and it often takes several weeks for infections to lead to hospitalizations.
On a national level, the percentage of positive COVID-19 tests dropped from 2.9% on May 17 to 2.7% for the week ending May 24. Additionally, the number of emergency room visits related to COVID-19 fell by 6.5% over this period.
In China, statistics indicate that the percentage of critically ill respiratory patients with COVID-19 has risen from 3.3 to 6.3 percent within the past month.
The percentage of Chinese emergency room patients who tested positive for Covid-19 had risen from 7.5 to 16.2 percent.
Taiwanese officials have reported an increase in coronavirus-related ER visits, showing a rise of 78% within one week up to May 3rd, as per the most recent statistics available.
Hospital admissions have reached a peak over the last 12 months in Hong Kong, believed to be caused by the emergence of a new variant.
The symptoms associated with variant NB.1.8.1 resemble those of other versions and encompass fever, shivers, coughing, difficulty breathing, exhaustion, muscular pain, headaches, anosmia or ageusia, a painful throat, stuffiness, queasiness, regurgitation, and loose stools.
COVID tests cannot determine which specific strain you are infected with.
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