Washington state has confirmed its first case of the COVID-19 variant NB.1.8.1, detected through airport surveillance. While the variant's frequency quadrupled in April, the World Health Organization and Washington State Department of Health assess the risk as low. Current data suggests existing vaccines are effective, and the variant doesn't appear to cause more severe illness than others. The case was detected at Seattle-Tacoma airport; residency is unclear. COVID-19 cases and deaths in Washington are significantly lower than in previous years.

Prepared by Olivia Bennett and reviewed by editorial team.