Background on the new COVID-19 Variant that has reached the U.S. and other countries

What to Know About the New COVID-19 Variant NB.1.8.1 NB.1.8.1 has been surging in China and has now been detected in several U.S. states. Alice Park TIME

Public-health experts have warned for months that the COVID-19 virus isn’t gone—and, far from waning, SARS-CoV-2 has mutated yet again into a new variant. Called NB.1.8.1, it's causing a spike in infections in China. A few cases also recently appeared in the U.S. when people arriving at airports tested positive, according to a statement from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The World Health Organization has also designated it as a “variant under monitoring.”

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