# RKS: NB.1.8.1 - The VUM Becoming A VOC?
# RKS: NB.1.8.1 THE VUM BECOMING A VOC? RKS / 2025-2026 / Ser 8 / Blog 4 1st January 2026 THE NEW EMERGENT SARS-CoV-2 VARIANTS ALL ABOUT OMICRON SUBTYPES Dear Reader, SARS-CoV-2 is the coronavirus responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic, causing a contagious disease called Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The variants that emerged in 1920 were alpha (B.1 subtypes - United Kingdom first), beta (B.1 subtypes - South Africa first), gamma (P.1 - Brazil first) and delta (B.1 subtypes - India first). The omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 emerged in 2021 (South Africa first) onwards. Of the latter the current two of looming concerns include LP.8.1 and NB.1.8.1 which is not only a global scare but also assuming alarming proportions in India. SARS-CoV-2 VARIANT CLASSIFICATION Variant classification serves as an important communication tool for alerting countries about the emergence of SARS-CoV-2 variants with concerning properties likely to impact the its population. The ...