The new coronavirus variant surging in China has arrived in the US. Here’s what to know about Nimbus

CNN Get inspired by a weekly roundup on living well made simple Sign up for CNN s Life But Better newsletter for information and tools designed to improve your well-being A new coronavirus variant is spreading in plenty of parts of the world The variant NB has been identified as the cause of Covid- resurgence in China and several other Asian countries Experts in Europe are predicting a workable increase in cases there A summer wave also could occur in the United States According to the US Centers for Disorder Control and Prevention NB already represents about one-third of new Covid- cases as of June This is a crucial increase from just a month before when the new variant represented just of new Covid- cases Could another summer wave really occur Do current vaccines still work and if so who should consider getting another dose now And what precautions should people take to reduce their danger of contracting Covid- To help us with these questions I spoke with CNN wellness expert Dr Leana Wen an urgency physician and clinical associate professor at the George Washington University Wen previously served as Baltimore s strength commissioner CNN What should people know about the new variant Wen The SARS-CoV- virus is constantly mutating and it s entirely expected that there will be new variants The more opportunities the virus is given to spread the more opportunities it has to mutate Every time a new variant arises that appears to be outcompeting previous strains it s significant to ask three questions Is it causing more severe syndrome is it more contagious and do existing vaccines still work against it This new variant NB also called Nimbus is a descendant of the Omicron strain The World Robustness Organization has deemed the new strain a variant under monitoring However WHO also reports that surveillance evidence do not show that it has increased severity compared with previously circulating variants Given that this strain is outcompeting previous variants it s doable that it could be more contagious but there is nothing to suggest that it is being spread differently compared with past variants As for whether existing vaccines work against this variant the answer is not known WHO cites laboratory evidence showing that it could have a few immune escape which means it may be less responsive to the immunity provided by vaccines or prior infection and suggesting a achievable reduction in vaccine efficacy At the same time NB is a close descendant of other strains against which the vaccines have efficacy I expect there will be more figures available in the coming weeks as federal wellbeing agents will soon decide the formulation of this fall s updated Covid- vaccine Knowing that NB constitutes a growing proportion of cases they will greater part likely try to ensure that the formulation has efficacy again this variant CNN What are signs of N B infection Wen The characteristics appear to be similar to infection with other variants There is a large range of clues and severity A few patients may have allergy-like features such as stuffy and runny nose Others may have cold- or flulike features with fever sore throat fatigue headache and muscle or body aches Several people may develop cough and difficulty breathing Selected may have nausea vomiting or diarrhea While majority people will recover a few could become severely ill and require hospitalization A few individuals who contract Covid- may also develop the post-viral condition known as long Covid CNN Could another summer wave really happen again Wen Yes It could be triggered by a new variant that s more contagious and that has specific degree of immune escape A wave also could occur totally because of declining population immunity Various experts believe that the emergence of this new strain combined with less current Covid- activity could start a wave in the next couple of months What we have seen from several years of experience with Covid- is that infections tend to come in waves A surge in cases leads to multiple people falling ill then recovering and emerging short-term immunity to infection Infection rates decline for several months then they begin to increase again Summer waves of Covid- have occurred over the past limited years It s certainly achievable that the pattern repeats this year CNN Who should consider getting the vaccine now instead of waiting for the fall formulation Wen This is a laborious question to answer because the landscape around Covid- vaccination has been changing Just last month US Strength and Human Services Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr stated that Covid- shots are no longer recommended for healthy children and pregnant women These shots appear to still be accessible for children for instance the CDC s guidance now reads that children can get the shots after consulting with their soundness care provider However there are already reports of pregnant women having more difficulty obtaining these vaccines This and other guidance could soon change as Kennedy has reconstituted the panel of external experts who advise the CDC on vaccine recommendations and this new panel could make different decisions during their upcoming meeting in late June Another uncertainty is when a new round of vaccines will be made available One way to approach this decision is to consider your exposure of severe outcomes if you were to contract Covid- Those who are and over or who have chronic underlying clinical conditions should consider getting another dose of the vaccine now if they are eligible That way they have additional protection in circumstance there is a summer wave since the existing vaccine supposedly retains several efficacy against the new variant And they can still get another dose in the fall when the new formulation will presumably be published As for those who are younger and generally healthy specific who have not yet received the - formulation also may consider getting the vaccine now before guidelines change and they may no longer be eligible People should discuss their specific medicinal situations with their primary care physician CNN What precautions should people consider to reduce their hazard of contracting this variant Wen The same precautions we ve been discussing throughout the Covid- pandemic still apply This is a respiratory virus that could be airborne so be on guard particularly in crowded indoor settings People who are especially vulnerable to severe malady should try to avoid these settings If they need to go into say a crowded train station they should consider wearing a well-fitting N or equivalent mask Those people visiting vulnerable individuals may wish to avoid higher-risk settings in the days before the visit to reduce the chance of spreading not only Covid- but also other respiratory illnesses