COVID-19 hasn’t gone away, and experts are watching a few causes of concern. New variants are popping up, like XFG COVID-19, which is believed to be fueled by the Stratus variant, and is a subvariant of Omicron.
While it’s not causing a huge spike in cases right now, the fact it’s different enough to worry scientists means we need to keep up with the news, as it could directly impact us.
The World Health Organization (WHO) lists Stratus as a “variant under monitoring,” meaning it’s spreading widely but hasn’t been proven to cause more severe illness.
Over the course of one month, Stratus accounted for 14% of all U.S. cases. Now it’s among the top three most common strains.
The Center for Disease Control lists symptoms to look out for, some of which include loss of taste or smell, cough and sore throat, muscle or body aches, congestion, and a mild fever.
The CDC also reports the Stratus variant to a particularly sore throat, often called “razor blade throat.”
Although the rise in cases is concerning, it’s not surprising since cases usually spike once in the summer and once in the winter. This is due to new variants and decreasing immunity from prior vaccination, as well as more travel.
The epicenter of the current surge is in the south, with Arkansas, Texas, New Mexico, Louisiana, and Oklahoma having a 15% test positivity rate.
It’s unclear how long this surge will last. As of September 2, the CDC estimates infections are growing in 24 states, unchanged in 15, and likely declining in only seven.
The good news is that we are much more prepared and have more knowledge about this disease than we did in 2020.
