A new COVID-19 variant, NB.1.8.1, is spreading globally and by mid-May accounted for nearly 11% of all sequenced samples reported to international health agencies, according to the World Health Organization.
The new variant has seen a surge primarily in the eastern Mediterranean, Southeast Asia and western Pacific regions, the WHO said. The WHO has designated it a “variant under monitoring” and considers the public health risk low at the global level, with current vaccines expected to remain effective.
While some western Pacific countries have reported increases in COVID cases and hospitalisations, there’s nothing so far to suggest that the disease associated with the new variant is more severe compared to other variants, the WHO added.
In the United States, airport screening has detected the variant among travellers arriving from affected regions to California, Washington State, Virginia, and New York.
As of May 27, 2025, India has reported a total of 1,010 active cases. Most infections have been reported from Kerala, Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Odisha. The most common variant in India remains JN.1, comprising 53 per cent of samples tested, followed by BA.2 (26 per cent) and other Omicron sublineages (20 per cent).
Amid the surge of cases, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has reassured the public that the current infections are mild and not a cause for concern. ICMR Director General Dr Rajiv Behl said that while there has been an uptick in cases, initially in the southern states, followed by the west, and now in parts of northern India, the infections are being closely monitored. “The severity of cases remains low, and there is no need for panic at this stage. We have been closely monitoring the situation. We should be vigilant currently, but there is no cause to worry,” he said.
