A croaky voice and a sharp, ‘razor blade’ sore throat are emerging as tell-tale signs of the latest Covid variants now sweeping Britain and the US.
The strains — XFB, dubbed Stratus, and NB.1.8.1, known as Nimbus — are fuelling a surge in infections, with cases doubling since August.
At the same time, health chiefs have launched a winter vaccination drive, urging millions to come forward for Covid and flu jabs as hospitalisations creep up.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said positivity had risen from 7.6 to 8.4 per cent in just a week, while admissions increased from 2.0 to 2.73 per 100,000.
In the US, nationwide Covid wastewater levels, used to measure the community spread of a virus, are ‘moderate,’ according to the CDC, but four states are recording ‘very high’ levels and those in the northeast region are on the rise.
Dr Aaron Glatt, a US-based infectious disease expert, told Today.com that patients were complaining of ‘severe pain — as if their throat is covered with razor blades’.
He added: ‘While not specific to Covid-19, this expression has been used to describe sore throat symptoms in some patients with the most recent Covid-19 variant.’
But the new strains can also cause more familiar complaints such as headaches, coughing, fatigue and a runny or blocked nose.
Experts stress they are no more dangerous than earlier versions, but genetic mutations mean they spread more easily.
Source: dailymail.co.uk
