‘Razor Blade Throat’ (Sore Throat) May Be a Symptom of the New COVID Variant

Is ‘Razor Blade’ Sore Throat a Symptom of the New COVID Variant?

Is ‘Razor Blade’ Sore Throat a Symptom of the New COVID Variant?
Adobe Stock

As the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 continues to evolve, a new variant known as NB.1.8.1 or nimbus has people complaining about one particularly unpleasant symptom: a severe sore throat.

“Sometimes people describe dull achy pain, but other times the pain is ‘sharp.’ Apparently, this new nimbus variant of COVID-19 wreaks enough havoc in the cells of our throats to generate a sharp ‘razor blade’ type of discomfort,” says Michael Lerner, MD, a laryngologist (ear, nose, and throat specialist) and assistant professor of otolaryngology surgery at Yale Medicine in New Haven, Connecticut.

Here’s what we know so far about why COVID-19 causes throat pain, how to know whether your sore throat is related to nimbus, and how to get relief.

How to Cope With a COVID-19 Cough

Coughing is common with COVID-19. Here are some at-home treatments and strategies that can help.
How to Cope With a COVID-19 Cough

As New Variants Appear, Symptoms Can Morph

From the start of the COVID pandemic, as the virus has evolved, so too have the main symptoms. “Remember all that loss of taste and smell with the initial batch of COVID-19?” says David Wohl, MD, infectious diseases expert with UNC Health in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

Sore throat and other cold-like symptoms became more prevalent once omicron took over from delta as the primary variant, in 2022 — and NB.1.8.1 belongs to the omicron family.

Nimbus has a combination of infectivity and immune evasion that has given it a distinct advantage over other variants, says James Lawler, MD, MPH, infectious diseases physician at Nebraska Medicine and associate director for international programs and innovation at our Global Center for Health Security in Omaha.

Nimbus was first identified in Asia, then Europe, before coming to the United States. As of June 7, the variant accounts for almost 40 percent of cases for which people received COVID tests at a U.S. hospital or clinic.

Why Is Sore Throat Such a Common COVID Symptom?

It’s estimated that about 60 to 70 percent of people with COVID-19 have a sore throat.

SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, primarily enters the body through the nose, mouth, and throat — all part of the upper respiratory tract. In the early days of infection, the virus replicates in the lining of the throat, triggering an immune response that can result in inflammation and swelling. This is what causes the pain or scratchiness that people often describe as a sore throat.

With the omicron family, the virus tends to concentrate more in the upper respiratory tract than in the lungs, a likely reason why sore throat is such a common symptom.

Because nimbus hasn’t been around very long, it’s unclear if there is something special about it that leads to an especially sore throat, says Dr. Wohl.

It could be that vaccines and prior immunity have primed people’s immune systems to respond aggressively to nimbus — the throat has a lot of lymph glands that contain infection-fighting cells, Wohl notes.

“Alternatively, it could be that this variant may have a predilection for the throat,” he says.

How Can You Tell if Your Sore Throat Is Due to COVID?

Because sore throat is a very nonspecific symptom, determing the cause can be a challenge, says Dr. Lerner.

“One of the problems with COVID-19 is that the symptoms of this ‘razor blade throat’ variant and previous ones can mimic lots of other upper respiratory infections like the flu [or the] common cold, acid reflux, or even allergies,” he says.

Often, people are quick to blame throat pain on strep (streptococcus bacteria). “It is certainly important to think about the possibility of COVID-19, specifically, if one’s sore throat is severe or fails to improve with basic measures,” says Lerner.

Make sure to seek medical attention if a sore throat does not improve on its own, he adds: “Don’t assume you have strep throat. If you have a painful sore throat, it would be reasonable to take a home COVID test or have a throat culture or swab taken from the back of your throat at an urgent care clinic.”

Do Adults and Kids Have the Same Sore Throat Symptoms?

It’s not clear yet if nimbus and the nasty sore throat that comes with it affects adults and kids in the same way, says Wohl. At this point there aren’t enough cases to know. “While this variant is becoming more common, COVID-19 cases remain low according to wastewater data,” he says.

“We likely will soon see an increase in cases based on historical trends when new, more catchy variants emerge,” says Wohl.

In general, children and adolescents often have fewer acute (sudden and short-term) symptoms of COVID, but they continue to have significant risk of long COVID and significant post-COVID health problems, says Dr. Lawler. “This is true even if they have no underlying medical conditions and have had previous documented COVID,” he says.

Is Nimbus More Likely to Lead to Complications Than Prior Variants?

“Given what we have seen in other parts of the world, the risks of complications from NB.1.8.1 are the same as other variants,” says Wohl.

For people without good immunity due to lack of vaccination or prior infection or waning or suboptimal immunity, severe COVID-19 remains a concern. Infants, older people, and pregnant women can fall into these categories, says Wohl.

Long COVID is always a risk,” he notes.

“Studies consistently show that a recent COVID vaccination continues to provide strong protection against severe COVID and post-COVID health problems. This is true regardless of age, underlying medical conditions, prior COVID infection, and past COVID vaccines,” says Lawler.

How to Treat a COVID Sore Throat at Home

If you have COVID and are elderly or immunocompromised, you should talk to your doctor about whether you’d benefit from a prescription antiviral drug like Paxlovid.

There are also home remedies and over-the-counter medications that can reduce discomfort.

Lerner recommends the following to ease sore throat:

Take over-the-counter pain medications. These can be very effective in relieving symptoms.

“But make sure to check the ingredient list carefully on many of the big name-brand cold medicines, as they often have multiple medications in them and you do not want to unintentionally take too much Tylenol [acetaminophen] per day, which can harm your liver,” Lerner says.

Run a humidifier. Dryness makes sore throat worse, so increase your hydration and keep a humidifier running at the bedside.

Suck on throat lozenges. Over-the-counter throat lozenges can be very helpful but know that menthol-containing ones can paradoxically be irritating for some people.

“I like to recommend lozenges that contain pectin or xylitol, which lubricate the throat,” Lerner says.

Take care of your nose. It’s worth noting that the nose is the body's natural humidifier, so treating a stuffy nose with nasal saline mist or other methods can sometimes be very helpful in easing throat discomfort.

“By improving nasal airflow, this reduces mouth breathing, which can considerably help reduce throat dryness and soreness,” Lerner notes.

The Takeaway

  • The new coronavirus variant NB.1.8.1, nicknamed nimbus, may come with a particularly severe sore throat described as causing “razor blade-like” pain.
  • Sore throat due to COVID-19 can be difficult to distinguish from strep throat or other illnesses without proper testing.
  • While most COVID-related sore throats can be managed at home with hydration, over-the-counter pain relievers, throat lozenges, and humidifiers, severe or persistent cases should be evaluated by a healthcare provider.
  • People without strong immunity — including infants, older adults, and those not recently vaccinated — remain at higher risk for complications like severe illness and long COVID, so staying up-to-date with vaccinations remains crucial for protection.
EDITORIAL SOURCES
Everyday Health follows strict sourcing guidelines to ensure the accuracy of its content, outlined in our editorial policy. We use only trustworthy sources, including peer-reviewed studies, board-certified medical experts, patients with lived experience, and information from top institutions.
Resources
  1. Takegoshi Y et al. Association Between Sore Throat and Early Immune Responses Against COVID-19 Before and After the Emergence of the Omicron Variant. Annals of Translational Medicine. September 19, 2024.
  2. COVID Data Tracker: Variants and Genomic Surveillance. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. June 16, 2025.
  3. Nori W et al. Omicron Target Upper Airways in Pediatrics, Elderly and Unvaccinated Population. World Journal of Clinical Cases. November 16, 2022.
  4. COVID-19 National Wastewater Data. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. June 18, 2025.
jane-yoon-scott-bio

Jane Yoon Scott, MD

Medical Reviewer

Jane Yoon Scott, MD, is an infectious disease physician and an assistant professor of medicine at Emory University in Atlanta. Dr. Scott enjoys connecting with her patients, empowering them to understand and take ownership of their health, and encouraging them to ask questions so that they can make informed and thoughtful decisions.

She graduated with the highest honors from the Georgia Institute of Technology, then received her MD from the Medical College of Georgia. She completed her internal medicine residency training and chief residency at Temple University Hospital, as well as a fellowship in infectious diseases at Emory University. She is board-certified in both internal medicine and infectious diseases.

When she is not seeing patients, Dr. Scott works with neighboring health departments to promote public health, especially to communities that have been historically underserved. She also teaches medical trainees and lectures medical students at the Emory University School of Medicine.

In her free time, Dr. Scott appreciates a good coffee shop, weekend hikes, playing guitar, strolling through cities, sampling restaurants, and traveling to new places.

Becky Upham, MA

Becky Upham

Author

Becky Upham has worked throughout the health and wellness world for over 25 years. She's been a race director, a team recruiter for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, a salesperson for a major pharmaceutical company, a blogger for Moogfest, a communications manager for Mission Health, a fitness instructor, and a health coach.

Upham majored in English at the University of North Carolina and has a master's in English writing from Hollins University.

Upham enjoys teaching cycling classes, running, reading fiction, and making playlists.