The Head of the Scientific Committee to Combat Coronavirus at Egypt’s Ministry of Health and Population Hossam Hosni said on Monday that the new variant “NB.1.8.1,” also known as “Nimbus,” has not yet been detected in Egypt, RT reported.
In a phone interview with Al-Nahar TV, Hosni explained that this variant has been classified by the World Health Organization as concerning, due to its rapid spread and ability to overcome resistance acquired through vaccinations or previous infection.
Fortunately, it is not particularly fatal, he added.
“All surveillance methods have confirmed that the virus has not entered Egypt,” he said, explaining that the symptoms currently prevalent among some patients in Egypt are the result of other viral infections such as influenza, and not the Coronavirus.
Hosni said that conventional medications, not including antibiotics, are capable of dealing with the effects of infection with the new variant.
Symptoms in patients may be severe but can be managed medically, he said.
He also noted that some patients experience symptoms affecting their voice, a consequence of damage to the vocal cords as part of the respiratory system.
