June 4, 2025, 1:13 pm | Read time: 4 minutes
For many of us, the COVID-19 pandemic feels like a distant memory. Yet, the virus continues to wreak havoc as it keeps mutating. Now, a new coronavirus variant called NB.1.8.1 is on the rise. But how dangerous is it?
On April 7, 2023, the COVID-19 protective measures in Germany expired.1 No more mask mandates, no distancing rules, no isolation requirements. This marked the official end of the coronavirus pandemic after about three years. Yet, even more than two years later, we cannot completely dismiss the topic of COVID-19. The virus still exists–and it continues to mutate. This means potentially dangerous variants are possible. Now, the coronavirus variant NB.1.8.1 is spreading. Should we brace for a new pandemic outbreak? FITBOOK has compiled all the important questions and answers.
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Overview
What is special about the coronavirus variant NB.1.8.1?
According to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), the new coronavirus variant NB.1.8.1 was first detected in Germany in the 13th calendar week. That is, between March 24 and 30, 2025.2 At that time, it accounted for 3.57 percent of all circulating coronavirus variants. Six weeks later, in the 19th calendar week in mid-May, the share had already risen to 16.67 percent. According to the RKI, the coronavirus variant NB.1.8.1 is of particular significance and is classified by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a variant under monitoring (VUM).
NB.1.8.1 is one of the so-called recombinant variants. These arise through the exchange of genetic material between two virus variants. This occurs, for example, when a person is infected with two different coronavirus variants.3 Thus, NB.1.8.1 is derived from the virus variant XDV.1.5.1. Due to the genetic change, this new coronavirus variant offers transmission advantages over other already circulating variants, making it potentially more contagious.
How dangerous is the new coronavirus variant?
The WHO classifies the variant as VUM (Variant under Monitoring).4 This means it is a variant under observation. This is the lowest of the three risk categories distinguished by the WHO.5
- VUM: Variant under Monitoring (these variants are under observation)
- VOI: Variant of Interest (virus variants that indicate a newly emerging risk to global public health)
- VOC: Variant of Concern (variants that are more contagious, cause severe illness, and show reduced vaccine effectiveness)
According to the WHO, the coronavirus variant NB.1.8.1 is spreading rapidly compared to other simultaneously circulating variants. However, it shows only a slightly higher immune escape than the currently most widespread variant LP.8.1. Immune escape means that the virus can better evade the neutralizing effect of antibodies due to mutations in the spike proteins. The likelihood of contracting the virus is thus somewhat higher. Yet, according to the WHO, the risk of illness is within the range of earlier variants.
There are reports of an increase in case numbers and hospitalizations in some countries with the highest share of NB.1.8.1. However, there is no evidence that the severity of the disease is higher compared to other circulating variants. Thus, the WHO concludes that, based on current knowledge, there are no higher risks to public health than with other circulating coronavirus variants.
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Do existing COVID-19 vaccines work against NB.1.8.1?
Regarding the effectiveness of current vaccines, the WHO expresses no major concerns. It is expected that the currently approved COVID-19 vaccines will remain effective against this variant and protect against severe illness.
This is shown by initial studies on mice boosted with current mRNA vaccines from Moderna and BioNTech.6 In mice previously immunized with SARS-CoV-2 variants, further immunization with monovalent KP.2 or monovalent LP.8.1 mRNA vaccines led to similar or slightly lower levels of neutralizing antibodies against NB.1.8.1–compared to immunization with KP.2 or LP.8.1 antigens.
In other words, the existing mRNA vaccines show similar effectiveness against the new coronavirus variant NB.1.8.1 in mice as against the currently widespread LP.8.1. It is highly likely that this is also the case in humans.