A novel description for a COVID-19 symptom is driving a surge in Google searches, with people across the globe referring to it as “razor blade throat.” Although experts say a sore throat has been a common side effect of contracting the virus.
‘Razor blade throat’
Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, millions have experienced symptoms like fever, fatigue and congestion, with some cases leading to death. More recently, Google Trends shows a spike in searches for “razor blade throat COVID” and other similar queries as people report a sharp, painful sore throat. Public health researchers sometimes monitor these trends to track how people experience and react to illness in real-time.
Dr. William Schaffner, a professor of preventive medicine at Vanderbilt University, told HuffPost the symptom commonly described as “razor blade throat” isn’t new to COVID-19 and can appear with each type of strain.
“In the past, as new variants have come on the scene, there almost invariably have been questions about distinctive symptoms, and after a while, when you gather a lot of data, it turns out not to be the case — all of these symptoms have occurred before,” he explained.
Dr. Schaffner noted that not everyone with COVID-19 will experience severe throat pain and emphasized that symptoms can vary widely from person to person. He added that the presence of a painful sore throat shouldn’t cause unnecessary fear.
What is the new COVID-19 variant?
The latest COVID-19 variant, named NB.1.8.1, is part of the omicron family. Like omicron, it has the ability to mutate proteins, which may boost its transmissibility. First identified in January 2025, the variant has begun its spread from Asia into parts of the United States.
The World Health Organization is monitoring the NB.1.8.1 variant but continues to assess the overall risk to the global population as low. Current COVID-19 vaccines are reportedly effective against this variant and others in circulation.
As of May 18, 2025, the WHO reports 518 cases of the NB.1.8.1 variant from 22 countries. While the numbers are still low, the variant accounted for approximately 11% of global COVID-19 cases in late April, representing a significant increase from just 2.5% a month earlier due to the relatively small number of worldwide infections.
In the U.S., respiratory illnesses such as COVID-19, the flu and RSV remain at very low levels, with emergency room visits for COVID-19 also declining nationwide, according to the CDC.
