The new coronavirus variant NB.1.8.1, spreading rapidly across parts of Asia, has yet to gain a foothold in Germany, the World Health Organization reports.
First identified in January and labeled a "variant under monitoring" by the WHO, NB.1.8.1 was detected in Germany only at the end of March.
So far, Germany’s public health agency, the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), says the variant has appeared only sporadically.
“No trend can be derived here; current COVID-19 case numbers are low, and correspondingly less sequencing is being conducted,” the institute stated.
University of Basel biophysicist Richard Neher said whether this variant “will establish itself [in Germany] depends on how other variants evolve. It is quite possible that NB.1.8.1 will prevail, but it is likely to be relatively insignificant.”
In the most recent reporting week, which ended June 8, the RKI recorded 698 COVID-19 cases – a slight increase – but the institute noted this is off a very low base. Many infections are likely going undetected due to limited testing.
Wastewater monitoring also showed a slight increase in SARS-CoV-2 levels over the past four weeks – albeit still at a low level.
The new NB.1.8.1 strain is derived from the XDV.1.5 lineage dominant in East Asia, according to Neher.
The state-run Chinese news agency Xinhua, citing the National Administration of Disease Control and Prevention, reported the new strain had become China’s dominant variant by the end of May.
“The variant is increasing in frequency compared to other variants,” Neher noted. NB.1.8.1 is therefore more transmissible in the sense that an infection generates more secondary infections than other strains.
There is no evidence NB.1.8.1 causes more severe illness, Chinese authorities said. This aligns with the WHO’s assessment that despite rising case and hospitalization numbers in countries where the variant is widespread, there is currently no indication it causes more serious illness than other circulating variants.
COVID-19 vaccines currently approved are expected to protect against severe illness caused by NB.1.8.1, the WHO said.
