The Stratus strain has become known for its one unique symptom
A new Covid strain with one distinctive characteristic has become the dominant diagnosed variant in Wales. Public Health Wales (PHW) recently urged all eligible people to continue to receive their Covid-19 vaccinations after data showed two new variants sweeping through the nation.
One of these was the XFG variant, known as the Stratus strain, which now accounts for more than half of all Covid cases in the country. The Stratus strain is known for its unique symptom of giving people a hoarse voice.
The earliest XFG sample was collected on January 27 but data shows the strain did not arrive in Wales until May when cases started doubling.
Stratus has two variants, XFG and XFG.3, with XFG.3 accounting for a larger proportion than any other individual variant, according to the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA).
While there is no evidence that the new strain causes more severe symptoms experts have also said that it can infect cells more efficiently and can cause symptoms such as diarrhoea, constipation, and nausea.
The XFG and XFG.3 variants currently account for around 30% of Covid-19 cases in England, according data to released by the UKHSA, and 50% of all cases in Wales, according to the most recent data made available by PHW.
In Wales the most recent data, dated June 23, showed 25% of cases were the LF.7 variant, 50% were the XFG variant, and 25% were the NY.9 variant.
When the two variants first landed in Wales healthcare professionals said their ability to multiply in the way they did acted as a stark reminder that the virus has not gone away.
Dr Christopher Williams, consultant epidemiologist for PHW, then urged that those considered vulnerable will continue to be seriously affected by these variants if necessary precautions are not taken.
However the true extent of the spread of variants can often be hard to measure due to a significant reduction in Covid-19 testing compared to the peak of the global pandemic, which is now more than five years ago.
PHW has confirmed that the actual cases identified will be far from accurate as the majority of testing done today is in hospital settings.
A spokesman for PHW said: “As PCR testing data for Covid-19 is mainly done in hospital settings the number of cases identified is likely to be an underestimate of the true picture.
“However Public Health Wales receives intelligence from across the health system, including from primary care, about levels of Covid-19 as well as other communicable diseases. Currently we are not seeing large numbers of cases of Covid-19 in Wales.
“There is no evidence to suggest that XFG is any more or less severe than other previous variants or that vaccines will be any less effective against this variant.”