New ‘Stratus’ COVID variant spreads fast in US and everywhere — here’s what to watch for before it hits your area

New ‘Stratus’ COVID variant spreads fast in US: A new COVID variant is quietly gaining ground in the United States, and health officials are closely monitoring it. The XFG strain, also known as "Stratus," has quickly risen from being barely detectable to the third most common variant this summer.

Since May, the new COVID variant XFG, informally known as "Stratus", has risen from 0% to 14% of cases in the United States. Symptoms remain largely consistent with other variants. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimated that it could make up as much as 14% of the total by the end of June, as quoted in a report by USA Today.

COVID variant XFG

In a report released in late June, the World Health Organization (WHO) placed XFG on its watchlist but assessed the variant's additional public health risk as "low" globally. The WHO also stated that currently approved COVID-19 vaccines are "expected to remain effective to this variant against symptomatic and severe disease,” as quoted in a report by USA Today.

COVID-19 strains F.7 and LP.8.1.2, the latter of which is presently the second most common strain in the United States, are combined to form XFG.

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Subhash Verma, a professor of microbiology and immunology at the University of Nevada, Reno, stated that while the mutations in the variant might make it easier for XFG to avoid immune reactions, its binding behavior indicates that it is less likely to be highly contagious than other dominant variants, as per a report by USA Today.

"There is currently no clear evidence that XFG causes more severe disease or significantly different symptoms than earlier Omicron variants," Verma stated. "Importantly, there are no immediate public health concerns associated with this variant."

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What symptoms should people keep an eye out for?

So far, Stratus hasn't been linked to any significant changes in how COVID patients present. The majority of the reported symptoms remain consistent with previous Omicron variants, including:

• Fever or chills
• Cough
• Fatigue
• Sore throat
• Shortness of breath
• Muscles ache
• Congestion or runny nose
• Headache
• Nausea or vomiting
• Loss of taste and smell

Anecdotal reports, particularly on social media, suggest that hoarseness is more common with Stratus, but experts say this has yet to be proven in clinical settings.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention continues to urge people to seek medical attention if they experience serious symptoms such as chest pain, difficulty breathing, confusion, or pale lips and skin.

How quickly is the Stratus variant spreading in the United States?

Although XFG has been expanding and spreading globally, it has not yet taken over as the main cause of infection in the US.

With XFG accounting for 0% of cases through March, 2% in April, 6% in late May, 11% in early June, and 14% in late June, the prevalence of XFG in the US rose dramatically in the weeks preceding the most recent report.

WHO also monitored a global increase in XFG in June; the June report, which included data from 38 countries, revealed that XFG was responsible for 22.7% of positive tests by the end of May, compared to just 7.4% in the first week.

Is the stratus variant a serious health concern?

At this time, neither the CDC nor the WHO are sounding alarms. In fact, the WHO has added XFG to its monitoring list, but the global public health risk is rated as "low". The available COVID-19 vaccines are thought to provide protection against severe illness and symptomatic disease from this variant.

FAQs

What is the 'Stratus' COVID variant?
"Stratus" is the nickname for the XFG variant, a new strain that combines elements of previous variants F.7 and LP.8.1.2.

Is Stratus more dangerous than the other COVID strains?
So far, there is no compelling evidence that it causes more severe illness or significantly different symptoms.