MOSCOW, May 27. /TASS/. Four cases of a new Covid variant, NB.1.8.1, have been confirmed in Russia, chief of Russia’s sanitary watchdog Rospotrebnadzor Anna Popova said, adding that the situation is being monitored.

"According to media reports from various countries, a new coronavirus subvariant, NB.1.8.1, has been identified. It was first detected and described in January in China and then in other Asian countries, India, and in the United States <…>. As of today, we have found it in Russia. Four cases have been registered. I’d say that this situation is concerning," she said.

However, she noted that based on studies this subvariant does not cause serious symptoms. "Its symptoms are broadly similar to those associated with all other known Omicron subvariants. All of our testing systems are capable of detecting the new coronavirus. So, it won’t be missed. We continue monitoring the situation and our epidemiological oversight," she added.