New Covid variant in US linked to pain chest and trouble staying awake: Check symptoms, treatment and prevention tips

Covid-19 cases are rising across the United States as the country is facing a late summer wave driven by highly transmissible new variant known as 'XFG' variant. The data shows Covid-19 cases are rising in most US states, particularly in West and South, and COVID-related emergency room visits are up among all age groups, reports Today.

According to CDC's latest data, during the week ending on Aug. 9, 8.9% of the 28,051 Americans tested were positive for COVID-19 and this was a 0.6 percent hike from the week prior. During the same period, 0.4% of cases resulted in death and 1% resulted in an emergency room visit, a 0.1% increase from the week prior for both categories, reports USA Today.

US seeing surge in Covid cases

Covid-19 cases are seeing a surge in the US and the current spike in COVID-19 in the US is being fueled by the mutated XFG variant, aka "Stratus," which is spreading rapidly worldwide. The XFG variant, first detected in January in Southeast Asia, resulted in spike in US Covid cases in March and has surpassed the NB.1.8.1 or “Nimbus variant".


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As of August 9, XFG is now the dominant variant circulating in the US, according to wastewater data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Western and Southern states, including Washington, Oregon, Idaho, California, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Louisiana, as well as Alaska, had higher percentages of positive COVID-19 tests during the week ending August 9.

XFG, a combination of variants F.7 and LP.8.1.2, is on the rise as of late, having been responsible for 0% of U.S. cases through March, 11% by early June and 14% by late June. As many as 11 US states are reporting “high” or “very high” levels and hard-hit states include Texas, California, and Florida.

What are the symptoms of XFG 'Stratus' variant?

On June 25, the World Health Organization had classified XFG as a “variant under monitoring” due to its rapid global spread. At that time, XFG had been detected in 38 countries and made up 22% of cases, globally. XFG is a recombinant or hybrid of two existing omicron strains, LF.7 and LP.8.1.2, per the WHO.

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“(XFG) is part of the very large omicron family of variants,” Dr. William Schaffner, professor of infectious diseases at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, told TODAY.com. XFG also has several unique mutations in its spike protein, which have been shown to improve the virus's ability to evade COVID-19 antibodies from prior infection or vaccination, per the WHO.

Common symptoms of the Stratus variant include:

Sore throat

Cough

Congestion or runny nose

Fever or chills

Shortness of breath

New loss of sense of taste or smell

Fatigue

Headache

Muscle aches

Nausea, vomiting or diarrhea

During the week ending Aug. 9, the following states reported the highest wastewater viral activity levels, per the CDC:

Alabama

Alaska

California

Connecticut

Florida

Hawaii

Louisiana

Nevada

South Carolina

Texas

Utah

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Is stratus causing a Covid surge?

COVID can spike throughout the year, but tends to cause two distinct waves annually in the U.S., one in the winter and another in the summer. These surges are driven by new variants and decreasing immunity from prior infection and vaccination, as well as peaks in travel, experts note.

The current wave began around July. It's unclear when it will peak, but it's not showing any signs of slowing down.

The test positivity rate is about 9% as of Aug. 12 , per the CDC — during the peak of last summer’s COVID wave, it was 18%.

“COVID-19 continues to rise, with (wastewater) concentrations increasing by approximately 60% from last month,” a WastewaterSCAN spokesperson told Today. The Pandemic Mitigation Collective’s COVID forecasting model, which uses data from various sources, estimates that there are an average of 512,000 new daily infections in the U.S. as of Aug 11.

As of Aug. 10, emergency visits for COVID-19 are increasing among people of all ages, with a noticeable uptick among children under 12, per CDC data.

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Can Covid vaccine cure it?

COVID-19 vaccination is safe, effective, and one of the best ways to prevent severe illness and complications from COVID-19.

Currently-approved COVID vaccines are expected to remain effective against the XFG variant, the WHO said.

"Given these dominant strains now are part of the omicron family, last year’s vaccine and the anticipated updated vaccines should cover these new strains," Schaffner told Today.

The CDC advises seeking medical care if you experience any of the following symptoms:

Trouble breathing.

Persistent pain or pressure in the chest.

New confusion.

Inability to wake or stay awake.

Depending on skin tone, lips, nail beds and skin may appear pale, gray, or blue.