Covid is Back For A Summer Reunion!

 

BY C STONE | STONE NEWS NETWORK 

Get ready for a summer of reunions. A highly transmissible variant of COVID-19 called NB.1.8.1 has been found in California and other U.S. states. Public health experts have restricted access to the COVID-19 vaccines. 

This wonderful strain has been found in airports at Washington, Virginia, New York, and California.

And that's not all. The variant has been spreading throughout Asia, Europe, and Hong Kong. According to experts who are monitoring this one, there has been a significant increase in ER visits and hospitalizations.

via CBS News:

"CDC is aware of reported cases of COVID-19 NB.1.8.1 in China and is in regular contact with international partners," a CDC spokesperson said in a statement.

The spokesperson said that, so far, too few U.S. sequences have been reported of NB.1.8.1 to be included in the agency's variant estimates dashboard.

While authorities in Hong Kong say there is no evidence that the variant, a descendant of the XDV lineage of the virus, is more severe, they have begun urging residents to mask when in public transportation or crowded places as cases have climbed.

Health authorities in Taiwan have also reported a rise in emergency room visits, severe cases and deaths. Local health authorities say they are stockpiling vaccines and antiviral treatments in response to the epidemic wave.

There's no need to panic. The FDA will provide vaccines for high-risk people in the U.S. 

In the meantime, public health officials continue to recommend basic preventative measures, including masking in crowded spaces and staying home when sick, as the country heads into its typical summer COVID-19 surge window.