The COVID-19 variant that may be driving a recent rise in cases in some parts of the world has earned a new nickname: “razor blade throat” COVID.
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NEWS. SHARE YOUR STORY NOW WITH ABC SEVEN. >> THE NEW CORONAVIRUS VARIANT SURGING ABROAD IN ASIA AND EUROPE IS NOW IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA. IT’S EARNED A NEW MONIKER BECAUSE OF A PAINFUL SYMPTOM. CIRCLE OF HEALTH REPORTER DENISE DADOR HAS WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW. NBE 181 OR NIMBUS FOR SHORT, IS THE NAME OF AN OMINOUS CLOUD, BUT IT’S ALSO EARNED ANOTHER DUBIOUS NICKNAME. >> I KNOW THERE’S BEEN A LOT OF TERMS LIKE RAZOR BLADE THROAT IN THE NEWS. >> AND ESPECIALLY INTENSE SORE THROAT COINED AS RAZOR BLADE THROAT IS HOW SOME DESCRIBE ONE SYMPTOM. >> PEOPLE ARE DEFINITELY REPORTING THAT THEY HAVE A SEVERE SORE THROAT AND SOMETIMES HOARSENESS. >> BUT DESPITE THE SCARY MONIKER, HOSPITALIZATIONS REMAIN LOW. DOCTOR SHARON BOLTER, DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICABLE DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION, SAYS TESTING AND WASTEWATER MONITORING SHOWS THE NIMBUS VARIANT IS SLOWLY RISING IN L.A. COUNTY. THE CDC SAYS IT REPRESENTS A THIRD OF NEW COVID CASES IN THE U.S. >> THERE IS NO EVIDENCE THAT IT’S MORE DEADLY THAN PREVIOUS VARIANTS. >> BUT THERE MAY BE SOME EVIDENCE. IT MAY BE MORE CONTAGIOUS BECAUSE IT’S AN OMICRON DESCENDANT. DOCTOR BOLTER SAYS CURRENT VACCINES DO OFFER SOME PROTECTION, SHE ADDS. THE SLIGHT RISE IN CASES SINCE MAY MAY BE DUE TO A MILD WINTER. >> BECAUSE FEWER PEOPLE HAD COVID THIS WINTER, THAT THERE’S LESS IMMUNITY IMMEDIATELY IN THE COMMUNITY. AND THAT MAY BE THE REASON. >> TO PREVENT A SUMMER SURGE, DOCTOR BOLTER SAYS. TEST YOURSELF IF YOU FEEL SICK. STAY AWAY FROM VULNERABLE PEOPLE SUCH AS THE ELDERLY, THE YOUNG AND THE IMMUNOCOMPROMISED. MASK IN CROWDED SITUATIONS AND VACCINE RECOMMENDATIONS REMAIN THE SAME. >> THAT EVERYONE SIX MONTHS AND OLDER SHOULD GET THE VACCINE, AN
