While many people now believe that COVID-19 is milder and no longer a threat, it can still pose serious risks. The disease is particularly dangerous for individuals who are immunosuppressed, have chronic medical conditions, or are older. 

With new variants continuing to emerge, the virus remains unpredictable. For example, the NB.1.8.1 variant (“Nimbus”) has become the most prevalent strain worldwide, accounting for nearly a quarter of sequenced cases—slightly ahead of LP.8.1 and XFG/Stratus. This rapid evolution underscores the importance of tools that can reliably detect not only older strains but also newly emerging ones. 

Hytest SARS-CoV-2 nucleoprotein (NP) antibodies (Cat. #3CV4: C706, C524, C518, C715, and C527) are designed to recognize various relevant and concerning mutations. They are expected to recognize Pirola and Eris variants; FLiRT group variants KP.3, KP.3.3, KP.2, and KP.1.1; LB.1; KS.1.1; XEC (a combination of KS.1.1 and KP.3.3); as well as the newly emerging variants NB.1.8.1, LP.8.1, and XFG/Stratus (a combination of LF.7 and LP.8.1.2). 

We have compiled and continue to update information regarding different variants and mutations (see Table). 

To minimize the risk of COVID-19 antigen tests failing to detect new variants, we recommend including more than two antibodies in the assay. For detailed pair recommendations, click here.

Hytest is committed to ensuring that customers’ assays remain resilient against both current and future SARS-CoV-2 variants. As part of our ongoing Infectious Diseases campaign, we invite you to contact our sales team to explore tailored antibody pair recommendations and request free samples for your diagnostic needs.