"Prevent severe progression": Whom Corona expert recommends booster against NB.1.8.1

The coronavirus variant NB.1.8.1 , also known as "Nimbus," is spreading in Germany. It is currently responsible for one in five SARS-CoV-2 infections examined, reports Christoph Spinner in response to an inquiry from FOCUS online. He is a senior physician for infectious diseases at the Technical University of Munich Hospital.

The fact that the variant is spreading suggests that it is more easily transmissible, and therefore more infectious. However, NB.1.8.1 does not appear to cause more severe disease. According to the expert initiative "World Health Network," infected people primarily report

• "razor-like" sore throat
• severe exhaustion
• slight cough
• Fever
• Muscle pain
• constipation

Overall, the viral load measured in wastewater in Germany is "currently at a low level," according to the Robert Koch Institute's weekly report . "Experience shows that infection numbers only rise again in the fall, which is why a significant increase in infection numbers is probably not expected until early September at the earliest," explains Spinner.

If, contrary to expectations, the numbers climb earlier, there is still no cause for concern. The coronavirus vaccination still prevents severe Covid-19 disease for all variants – including NB.1.8.1. "Based on current knowledge, the available Covid-19 vaccines also protect against severe disease in Nimbus."

Spinner's recommendation: "People at risk for a severe course of Covid-19 – that is, people over 60 years of age and with chronic diseases that affect the immune system – should have their vaccination booster seasonally in the fall at the latest to effectively prevent a severe course."

The expert recommends a combined vaccination against coronavirus and influenza in the fall. "For people over 75, a combination vaccination with RSV vaccines may also make sense."