Overview

• WHO designated NB.1.8.1 as a “variant under monitoring” in May after it climbed to over 10 percent of global sequences.
• NB.1.8.1 has become dominant in China, Hong Kong and parts of Australia and has been detected across Southeast Asia, the Eastern Mediterranean and the United States.
• Laboratory and field data suggest multiple spike protein mutations boost transmissibility without causing more severe disease than prior variants.
• CDC surveillance identified NB.1.8.1 in travelers at major U.S. airports and in samples from California, New York, Ohio and other states.
• Persistently low booster uptake among older adults and young children raises concerns over potential rises in cases and hospitalizations.