A new Covid variant behind a surge of hospitalizations in China has been detected in the US.
In China, data shows the proportion of severely ill respiratory patients with Covid has jumped from 3.3 to 6.3 percent over the last month.
Experts are closely watching the new variant, which is already dominant in China and is on the rise in parts of Asia.
This graph shows overall Covid cases by test positivity rate – or the proportion of swabs that detect the virus Your browser does not support iframes.
The FDA held a meeting Thursday on whether to update the Covid vaccines, where the strain came up multiple times.
The US has discovered a new Covid variant that is causing a spike in hospitalizations in China.
Data from the CDC shows the new NB. 1 point 8. Among foreign visitors arriving in California, Washington state, Virginia, and New York City, one strain has been identified.
Between April 22 and May 12, patients traveled from nine different countries: China, Japan, Vietnam, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, France, the Netherlands, and Spain.
Additionally, the variation has been found in Ohio, Rhode Island, and Hawaii.
Since the new variant may be more contagious than the dominant strains currently in use, there is some concern.
Over the past month, the percentage of critically ill respiratory patients in China has increased from 3point 3 to 6point 3 percent, according to data.
The percentage of Chinese emergency room patients who tested positive for COVID-19 increased from 7 to 16 percent.
According to the most recent data, Taiwanese officials are also reporting a spike in COVID emergency room admissions, which increased by 78% in just one week during the seven days leading up to May 3.
Additionally, hospitalizations in Hong Kong have increased to a 12-month high, which is believed to be caused by the new variant. As a result, authorities are advising people to cover their faces.
The picture up top was uploaded in January 2025 and shows a packed hospital in China. Not the recent spike in Covid cases being reported there, but rather an outbreak of an enigmatic virus in the nation is the cause.
Also from the mysterious outbreak that engulfed China in January 2025 is the image above.
In the US, the variant has been in circulation since the end of March.
According to the most recent week’s data, the positivity rate of swabs that detect the virus dropped by 12%, but there is currently no indication of a significant increase in cases.
According to data released by CBS News and the CDC’s airport testing partner Ginkgo Bioworks, the strain is causing cases to arrive in the United States.
At specific airports, passengers can volunteer to self-collect two nasal swab samples and finish a brief survey as part of this program.
After that, these swabs are examined for a number of serious illnesses, including COVID.
Between April 22 and May 12, the travelers who were responsible for the new variant’s cases were tested.
With the new variant already dominating in China and growing in other parts of Asia, experts are keeping a close eye on it.
The most recent available number of visits to Taiwan for Covid was 19,097, along with the NB. 1:8. One variation is now the most common in the nation.
The NB is suggested by preliminary Chinese research. 1 point 8. It is more contagious because one variant binds to human cells more effectively.
Concern has been raised about NB, a novel form of Covid. 1–8. 1.
Although there have been some cases reported in the US, the virus’s positivity rate is declining. The percentage of swabs that detect the virus, or test positivity rate, is used to display the total number of Covid cases.
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Hong Kong officials once more advised people who were at high risk of infection to wear face masks in public settings in a notice that was issued last week.
Additionally, they advised the public to wear a face mask when using public transit or remaining in crowded places.
The strain was mentioned several times during the FDA’s meeting on Thursday regarding whether to update the Covid vaccines.
At the moment, the most recent vaccines target the JN. 1 variation and its offspring. The LP is currently suggested by the data. The 8.1 variant, a descendant of JN, is prevalent in the US. 1. .
Officials from the FDA and CDC informed the panel during the meeting that only one strain, known as XFC, has been substantially expanding in the US.