Worldwide infections are rising from a new coronavirus as the disease COVID-19 continues evolving, Fox News reported. First identified in Southeast Asia during January, the XFG variant, known as Stratus, has gained momentum, with the World Health Organization designating it a "SARS-CoV-2 variant under monitoring" after reaching 38 countries by June, Fox News stated. Nine American states including New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Vermont, Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota show climbing case numbers, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed, with CDC wastewater surveillance identifying XFG as the "predominant variant" based on Sept. 15 data, the outlet noted.
Stratus follows the Nimbus strain, which demonstrates high infectiousness and "razor blade" sore throat symptoms, Stony Brook Medicine, the academic medical center of Stony Brook University in New York, reported. Mutation has enabled Stratus to evade immune defenses more effectively than Nimbus, WHO documented, though this change remains "marginal" and should "not be a concern for most people," Stony Brook published, Fox News stated. Unvaccinated individuals and those lacking previous infection face greater difficulty fighting the strain, the health system indicated.
Standard COVID-19 symptoms appear with the new variant, including fatigue, fever and persistent dry cough, with vaccinated individuals typically experiencing mild cases, Stony Brook noted, according to Fox News. Additional manifestations involve shortness of breath, chest tightness, sore or scratchy throat, headaches, body aches, upset stomach, nausea, loss of appetite, brain fog, trouble concentrating and decreasingly common loss of taste or smell, Fox News reported.
Medical attention enables proper diagnosis and treatment with antiviral medications, at-home remedies or over-the-counter drugs when symptoms emerge, experts recommend, the outlet stated. Individuals experiencing high fever above 103 degrees lasting beyond three days or symptoms worsening after improvement should consult doctors, Stony Brook directed, Fox News noted.
High-risk groups reduce severe COVID-19 illness through maintaining current vaccination status, experts counsel, according to Fox News. Prevention measures include wearing masks in crowded or indoor spaces, especially during cold and flu season, opening windows or using air filters indoors, frequent hand washing, avoiding close contact with others and checking local COVID numbers before traveling, the source indicated.
Mask-wearing in crowded spaces, improved ventilation through window opening or air filtration, frequent hand hygiene, social distancing and reviewing local transmission rates before travel all serve as preventive measures during cold and flu season, particularly for high-risk populations requiring updated vaccinations to minimize severe illness, Fox News reported.
