The UK is grappling with the rise of a new Covid strain known as Nimbus or NB. 1.8.1. Britain has seen an increase of almost 10 per cent in Covid-related hospital admissions in the final week of May amid cautions from the World Health Organisation (WHO).

COVID-19 appears to be on the rise in some parts of California as a new, highly contagious subvariant — featuring “razor blade throat” symptoms overseas — is becoming increasingly dominant.

A relatively new and seemingly highly contagious variant of Covid, NB.1.8.1, or the “Nimbus” variant, has been described by the World Health Organisation (WHO) as a “variant under monitoring” (VUM). That’s partly because it seems to be so easily transmissible,