A new COVID-19 variant is quietly spreading across the globe.
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We’re tired of COVID, but apparently COVID isn’t tired of us.
A new COVID-19 variant is quietly spreading across the globe — just as the United States makes a dramatic and controversial shift in its vaccination strategy.
The new COVID variant, known as NB.1.8.1, has been detected in multiple world regions and has already shown up in U.S. airports, including in California, New York, Virginia, and Washington.
New COVID variant on the rise
The World Health Organisation (WHO) says the variant is on the rise, particularly in Southeast Asia, the Eastern Mediterranean, and the Western Pacific. According to WHO, it now accounts for almost 11% of sequenced global cases.
Although the WHO currently classifies it as a “variant under monitoring,” health experts say the timing couldn’t be worse — when America is already scaling back its COVID-19 protection measures, including a stunning rollback on vaccine recommendations for some of the population’s most vulnerable.
U.S. Health Secretary sparks uproar with vaccine rollback
Just one day before WHO’s announcement, U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. declared that COVID-19 vaccines are no longer recommended for healthy children and pregnant women.
The announcement, made via social media, sent shockwaves through the medical world. Doctors and scientists slammed the move as dangerous.
“This is an unprecedented move that abandons the process of evidence-based public health,” said Dr. Robert Steinbrook, Research Director at Public Citizen, for The Guardian. “Kennedy is making arbitrary public health decisions, defying norms, and with no accountability.”
“Science has not changed. It is very clear that Covid-19 infection during pregnancy can be catastrophic and lead to major disability, and it can cause devastating consequences for families” declared Dr. Steven Fleischman, president of The American College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (ACOG), for the same outlet.
Are vaccines still offering protection?
Meanwhile, the NB.1.8.1 variant’s presence in incoming U.S. travellers has raised red flags about how prepared America is for another wave. While current vaccines are still believed to offer protection against the variant, reduced guidance could create confusion and lower vaccination rates even further, say experts.
WHO pointed out that while there’s no current indication the new variant is more severe, some countries in the Western Pacific have seen notable rises in both case numbers and hospitalisations.
So, cruel summer ahead?
Add to that the dominant global strain LP.8.1, and health officials fear a dangerous mix: decreased public vigilance, weakened vaccine guidance, and an emerging variant.
As summer begins, experts are warning of a possible surge. With public trust fractured and new variants spreading, the coming months could test the resilience of both the healthcare system and the general public. Once again.
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