US EditionNew COVID-19 ‘Stratus’ Variant XFG Now In 38 Countries, WHO Monitoring
UNITED KINGDOM, JUL 9 – Stratus variant now accounts for about 30% of Covid cases in England and features a distinctive hoarse voice symptom while causing mild to moderate illness, according to UKHSA.
- The World Health Organization designated the recombinant XFG variant, nicknamed 'Stratus', as a variant under monitoring on June 25, 2025.
- XFG emerged with genetic material from LF.7 and LP.8.1.2, spreading widely especially in Southeast Asia, leading to increased cases and hospitalizations.
- By June 22, 1,648 XFG sequences from 38 countries represented 22.7% of global samples, with detection rates over 50% in India and 30% in the UK.
- WHO reports no evidence that XFG causes more severe illness or higher transmissibility than other variants, and notes vaccines and antivirals remain effective against it.
- WHO assesses the global risk from XFG as low but advises continued monitoring and standard COVID measures, including vaccination and early antiviral treatment.
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2 new summer COVID strains are less severe than earlier strains, doctors say
CONWAY, S.C. (WBTW) -- While you are soaking up the summer sun, doctors at Conway Medical Center say you can still get sick, and there are two new COVID strains going around this season. Dr. Paul Richardson at CMC told News13 that even though the nimbus and stratus strains are now out there, he has not seen a major increase in COVID cases or hospitalizations so far this summer. Dr. Richardson also said the two new strains are less severe than ea…
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