Latest news with #sorethroat
WebMD
27-06-2025
- Health
- WebMD
Why COVID 'Razor Blade' Sore Throat Hurts So Bad
June 26, 2025 – The new COVID-19 variant that now makes up about a third of U.S. COVID cases has a signature symptom: a painful sore throat that feels like "razor blades." "This 'razor blade sore throat' was reported as a common symptom in China," where the variant first emerged in May, said Matthew S. Kelly, MD, MPH, chief of infectious diseases in the Pediatrics Department at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. It's also been widely reported in other countries, including the U.S., as the variant has spread worldwide. Why Does This Sore Throat Hurt So Much? NB.1.8.1 – or Nimbus – is a subvariant of Omicron, the dominant COVID variant since late 2021. Omicron variants tend to cause more throat problems than the virus's earliest forms. In the past few years, infectious disease specialist Peter Chin-Hong, MD, has seen more and more COVID patients with sore throats. "Even before this variant, sore throat has been reported in up to 70% of patients with COVID, and it can be severe," said Chin-Hong, a professor at the University of California, San Francisco. One possible explanation is that as the virus evolves, our body's response to it changes too. COVID viruses bind to ACE2 receptors, found on the surface of cells. Cells in the upper airway (nose, throat) have more ACE2 receptors than those in the lower airway and lungs do – making them prime targets for Omicron variants, which bind to these receptors more strongly. Research suggests that of all the variants circulating now, Nimbus binds to ACE2 receptors the most. Once the virus reaches those cell receptors in and around your throat, your immune system – likely primed by past infections, vaccination, or both – kicks into overdrive to keep the virus at bay. Cue inflammation, fluid buildup, redness, and swelling. "Symptoms of the sore throat are not from the virus itself," said Chin-Hong. "They are from the inflammatory reaction to the virus." Another possibility: A COVID sore throat might feel worse today than it did earlier in the pandemic, because the original virus had more severe systemic symptoms, diverting attention from individual ones like a sore throat, said Chin-Hong. What Works for a Sore Throat? Anti-inflammatory drugs."[Data shows that] the most effective thing for sore throat is systemic therapy," said Chin-Hong. Think over-the-counter pain relievers such as ibuprofen. If pill swallowing is painful, try a liquid form, he said. Numbing agents, like throat sprays and lozenges with benzocaine, can be effective for short-term relief. Just don't ignore the package directions because misuse can be dangerous. "You're just trying to dull the pain for a couple of days when it's at its worst," said Kelly. Menthol lozenges. Menthol affects nerve activity in the throat, causing a mild numbing effect for a short time. Warm or cold liquids. No high-quality studies exist for these interventions, but many doctors still recommend hot tea and soup, or ice chips and ice pops. "This is sort of where medicine crosses over into: What seems to work for you? What did your mom do?" Kelly said. Here's what not to do: Don't beg your doctor for antibiotics. "Viruses are the most common cause of sore throat," said Chin-Hong – and antibiotics only work against bacterial infections. Plus: "Overprescribing antibiotics is bad for the microbiome and for increasing the risk of thrush and yeast infections." Don't assume steroids are a quick fix. "Sometimes people try to reach for steroids for pain associated with sore throat," said Chin-Hong, but steroids can have an immune-suppressive effect. In one 2025 study, people who took a corticosteroid for mild or moderate COVID had longer-lasting symptoms than those who took a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory instead. They were also more likely to be hospitalized. Don't apply pressure. You may have seen TikTok influencers touting "throat massage" techniques for a sore throat. Your neck is rich with delicate blood vessels and tissues that can be easily damaged with too much pressure, Kelly said. Leave massaging to trained experts. What Should You Do if You Have a Sore Throat? Take an at-home COVID test. (They still work for new variants.) If the test is positive, you can ask your doctor whether you're a candidate for an antiviral medication to help you recover faster. If it's negative, retest in 24 hours to confirm. When throat pain is your only symptom, it can take a few days before nasal swab tests can detect the virus, said Chin-Hong. Watch for symptoms that get worse, which could mean you have a severe bacterial infection or abscess. See a doctor if: Throat pain is much worse, compared to other symptoms. It's the worst sore throat you've ever had. You notice signs of a throat obstruction, such as hoarseness, drooling, or trouble breathing. Your doctor might do a throat culture for strep. If it's positive, you'll likely be prescribed antibiotics to keep the infection from spreading. "We want to prevent bad stuff down the road, like heart disease, rheumatic fever, or kidney disease," said Chin-Hong. Should You Worry About Nimbus? While U.S. cases are still relatively low, "this could lead to a summer surge or a surge in the next couple of months," said Kelly. Now's a good time to get a booster vaccine, particularly if you're 65 or older or have a chronic medical condition, he said. The COVID vaccines available now were formulated to target Omicron variants.
Yahoo
19-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
What to know about COVID variant NB.1.8.1 causing 'razor blade throat'
A newer COVID-19 variant may be causing a severe sore throat in some people who contract the infection. The variant, known as NB.1.8.1, has been nicknamed by some as "razor blade throat" due to the painful symptom. MORE: Why are more than 300 people in the US still dying from COVID every week? Data from the open global genome sequencing database GISAID shows the new variant has been detected in several states, including New York, Illinois, Texas and California. Public health experts told ABC News there is no cause for serious concern yet because the virus does not appear to be more severe than previous variants and there are steps that can be taken to protect yourself. NB.1.8.1 derives from the recombinant variant XVD.1.5.1, which is a descendant of the omicron variant. The first sample of NB.1.8.1 was collected on Jan. 22, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). It was first detected in China and other parts of Asia before spreading to Europe. It was designated as a "variant under monitoring" by the WHO, meaning it may require prioritized attention and monitoring but is not as serious as a "variant of interest" or a "variant of concern." As of the week ending June 7, NB.1.8.1 is the second most dominant variant in the U.S., accounting for an estimated 37% of cases, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The virus appears to be more transmissible because there appear to be changes to the spike protein, which is what the virus uses to attach to and infect cells, said Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, a professor of medicine and infectious disease specialist at the University of California, San Francisco. It also seems to attach more easily to ACE2 receptors, which are proteins found on the surface of cells and how the virus that causes COVID enters cells, he told ABC News. NB.1.8.1 doesn't yet appear to be causing increases in cases or in hospitalizations with rates remaining "stable" so far, according to Chin-Hong. The variant has also been called "Nimbus," which appears to have been coined on X by T. Ryan Gregory, a Canadian professor of evolutionary biology. "Nimbus is a catchy, quick name, and it also includes an 'N' and a 'B' from the lineage, which is NB.1.8.1. So it's easier for people to be able to say these monikers for COVID, rather than remember the actual lineage," said Dr. Alok Potel, a pediatrician at Stanford Children's Health and an ABC News contributor. "But I think it's important also because it keeps people paying attention to new COVID variants that can be different in terms of infectivity and in terms of spread," he added. MORE: What we still don't know about COVID 5 years after the WHO declared a pandemic Experts said they are not sure if the painful sore throat is just a symptom that people are talking about or a distinctive symptom of this variant. It's also unclear if the "razor blade throat" is more common in those who are more up to date on vaccination compared to those who are not up to date. "I think it's certainly amongst the spectrum of symptoms that you can get, and we know that sore throat is reported by about 70% of patients now with COVID, so it's not unusual, and like with everything in medicine, there's always a spectrum," Chin-Hong said. There is currently no evidence that NB.1.8.1. causes more severe disease or is more likely to cause hospitalization, according to Dr. William Schaffner, a professor of preventive medicine at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, MORE: 5 years ago, the WHO declared COVID a pandemic. Here's a look at the disease by the numbers "But of course, there are people in high-risk groups that are still at risk of being hospitalized should they become infected," he told ABC News. There are no other symptoms outlined that are specific to NB.1.8.1 by the CDC. Symptoms listed by the health agency still include sore throat, cough, fever, chills, shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, congestion, runny nose, loss of taste or smell, fatigue, muscle aches, body aches, headache, nausea, vomiting or diarrhea. The experts recommend that high-risk Americans receive a vaccine twice a year as recommended by the CDC. The CDC also currently recommends most adults aged 18 and older receive an updated 2024-2025 vaccine and that parents of children between ages 6 months to 17 years discuss the benefits of vaccination with a health care provider. COVID-19 also tends to spike in the late summer and early fall, so people should consider opening windows to increase ventilation, wearing a mask in certain situations and avoiding crowded areas, Schaffner said. "Time to stream a movie, as I like to say, rather than going to the movies," he added. Patel said it's important to practice good hygiene such as proper hand-washing and covering your mouth when coughing or sneezing. He also recommended that people test if they are symptomatic and said over-the-counter rapid at-home tests work. "Getting infected with COVID and other infectious diseases is not necessarily life or death, but it can still be very debilitating." Patel said. "It can cause people to miss work, to spread the virus, to get people who are higher risk sick and there's still an untold amount of people who have long COVID." He added, "So, we don't want to look at COVID as just another common cold, because there's still so much we're learning about it, and there's still so many possibilities with this virus continuing to mutate, if we let it."
