A new COVID-19 variant, unofficially nicknamed Stratus and scientifically known as XFG, is quietly but steadily gaining ground in the United States and other parts of the world. Although health experts say the overall public health risk remains low, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has placed Stratus on its Variant Under Monitoring list due to its rapid spread and ability to partially evade immunity from past infections or vaccinations.
Is XFG More Serious?
According to the WHO, current data does not indicate that Stratus causes more severe illness than recent variants. Dr Edwards, an infectious disease specialist, noted that while COVID-19 cases may increase as summer progresses, there is no expectation that hospitalisations or deaths will be significantly worse than in previous waves.
“The main concern here is not the severity, but the speed with which Stratus is moving through populations,” Edwards explained. “It’s similar to past variants in symptoms, but it’s finding ways to spread faster.”
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Symptoms Of XFG Variant
The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that Stratus generally causes the same symptoms seen in other recent COVID-19 strains. These include:
Fever or chills
Cough
Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
Sore throat
Congestion or runny nose
Loss of taste or smell
Fatigue
Muscle or body aches
Headache
While most cases remain mild, those with underlying conditions or weakened immune systems should continue to take precautions.
Spread In United States
In the US, Stratus is quickly increasing its share of new infections, even as the previously dominant Nimbus variant (NB.1.8.1) still accounts for most cases.
Stratus’s rapid growth is not unique to America, in England, it jumped from 10 per cent to 40 per cent of cases in a matter of weeks. This speed is part of why both Stratus and Nimbus are being tracked as Variants Under Monitoring by the WHO.
Recent CDC data suggests Stratus is now one of the top three COVID-19 variants circulating in the US. It is already widespread in states including Arkansas, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Virginia, and is likely expanding in California, Georgia, New York, New Jersey, Tennessee, and other regions.
The CDC’s tracking has shifted to longer reporting periods due to reduced state-level case reporting, but experts say the trend is clear, XFG is spreading, and its share is expected to rise in the coming months.
Health officials recommend the same precautions that have proven effective against past variants: staying up-to-date on vaccinations, wearing masks in crowded indoor spaces, maintaining good ventilation, and practising good hygiene.