New Covid Strain Sweeps UK With Sneaky First Symptom You Could Easily Ignore

A new Covid strain is spreading fast across the UK and Ireland, but many people don’t realize the early signs are slipping under the radar. Called Stratus, the variant has already split into two forms, XFG and XFG.3, with the latter now responsible for around 40 per cent of cases in England as of June. It’s proving to be highly transmissible, with numbers rising sharply.

In Ireland, health officials logged 425 new infections in the first week of September alone, most believed to be Stratus. Figures from the Health Protection Surveillance Centre show just how quickly it’s overtaking other strains. Six weeks ago, it accounted for under half of infections. Now it makes up more than three quarters.

The World Health Organisation has flagged Stratus as a “variant under monitoring.” That means it doesn’t appear to cause more severe illness, but it spreads more easily than earlier versions. What makes it tricky is the way symptoms show up at first.

Doctors say the telltale early warning sign is a hoarse or gravelly voice, something many might put down to tiredness or a night out. But soon after, the familiar Covid symptoms often follow, such as a cough or fever. Speaking to Cosmopolitan UK, Harley Street GP Dr Kaywaan Khan explained: “One of the most noticeable symptoms of the Stratus variant is hoarseness, which includes a scratchy or raspy voice”, reports the Irish Mirror.

Other issues have been linked to Stratus too, from blocked noses and sore throats to stomach upsets and fatigue. Infectious disease specialist Dr Peter Chin-Hong, from the University of California San Francisco, told SFGATE that the strain appears to bring “a wider range of symptoms” than before.

“There’s a little bit more sore throats with some people. Particularly in those who are older, who didn’t get vaccinated last year,” he said. He also warned that schools could accelerate spread, adding: “It’s more transmissible, so we expect that a lot of people will get it. Particularly with kids going back to school, a sniffle is likely going to be Covid.”

Even with a new strain in circulation, the UK’s official Covid guidance hasn’t shifted. The government website still says that anyone who has the virus should try to stay at home, though most people can no longer access free tests. Tests are available in shops, but results can’t be reported to the NHS. Vaccinations are still available through the health service.

So far, Stratus isn’t classed as more dangerous, but its speed of spread and unusual first signs have experts on alert. With schools reopening and colder months around the corner, health officials expect the strain to keep working its way through the population, making it more important to recognise when that croaky voice could mean more than just a sore throat.