New COVID-19 Variant Stratus, What are the symptoms different from before?
Sep 24, 2025
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A new variant of COVID-19, first identified in January of this year, is cited as the cause.
Stratus is currently reported in two forms: XFG and XFG.3.
According to foreign media such as The Mirror and Newsweek, the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the UK increased by 7.1% from the previous week as of September 3 (local time).
The U.S. recorded a 9.9% positive rate for COVID-19 tests last week, up 1.4% from the previous week.
The number of patients in Korea is also on the rise.
According to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the number of hospital-level medical institutions increased for 11 consecutive weeks to 460 patients from September 7-13.
Even in clinic-level respiratory patients (pathogen sample monitoring), the detection rate of the COVID-19 virus was 30.8%.
According to the medical community, the Stratus variant is similar to conventional COVID-19 symptoms, but the most prominent initial symptoms are characterized by the appearance of a 'rest voice' or a 'rough voice'. This symptom is easily mistaken for a common cold or flu, which can be difficult to detect in the early stages of infection. Subsequent symptoms include nasal congestion, sore throat, indigestion, and fatigue.
Experts on infectious diseases abroad say that "Stratus is similar to the existing variant, but sore throats and raspy voices tend to be more severe." The variant has the ability to evade immunity, which can neutralize immunity formed by previous infections or vaccinations" he warned. In other words, just like updating your smartphone, you should improve your immunity with the latest vaccination.
The WHO said there is no evidence to date that the Stratus variant causes more severe disease than the existing variant, but stressed the need for continuous monitoring due to its high transmissibility and immune avoidance characteristics.
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
