As summer brings crowds outdoors and vacations into full swing, health experts are reminding the public that illness doesn’t take a break—even with sunshine and warm weather. This includes the emergence of two new COVID variants making the rounds.
Dr. Paul Richardson from Conway Medical Center in Conway, South Carolina, spoke to Nexstar’s WBTW, noting that although the recently identified nimbus and stratus strains are circulating, he hasn’t observed a noticeable uptick in COVID-related hospital visits or admissions during the summer months.
According to Dr. Richardson, both strains appear to cause less severe illness compared to previous variants.
“If you look at the way a lot of viruses evolve, that’s not uncommon,” he said. “A lot of viruses evolve to be less virulent. They may be more contagious, but they’re less virulent.”
The World Health Organization recently confirmed that while the nimbus variant has been reported in various countries, it has not been linked to a rise in serious illness or hospitalizations.
Despite this, the symptoms themselves can still be unpleasant. Dr. Richardson told WBTW that recent patients often present with signs typical of upper respiratory infections.
“I read about, ‘Oh, you’ve been having a lot of sore throats,’” he said. “I think one of them has even had the nickname ‘razor blade throat,’ or something of that nature. But if you think about that, a lot of upper respiratory infections do that same thing.”
He emphasized that most individuals likely won’t need another COVID booster in response to these variants, though those with underlying health concerns should consult their physician.
“With any infection, I worry about patients who are susceptible to worsening,” he said. “You think about the elderly. You think about people with chronic lung disease, any type of immune issues, and cancers.”
Even with the busy travel season and large-scale events, Dr. Richardson isn’t overly alarmed about widespread transmission of these new variants. While he doesn’t believe mask use will make much of a difference in this case, he said the fact that many events are held outside is a helpful mitigating factor.
Although medical facilities aren’t equipped to determine the exact strain of COVID a person has, Richardson explained that this doesn’t alter treatment decisions, since all variants are managed the same way.
“We would just know positive or negative for COVID,” Richardson explained. “We will treat absolutely the same, regardless of what type, whether it be nimbus or stratus or whatever the next one is.”
To lower your risk of catching or spreading illness, Dr. Richardson stressed one timeless recommendation: frequent handwashing remains one of the best defenses.

{Matzav.com}