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Stratus appears to spread faster than earlier Covid strains(Image: WalesOnline\/Rob Browne)<\/p>\n‘It’s more transmissible, so we expect that a lot of people will get it’Stratus appears to spread faster than earlier Covid strains(Image: WalesOnline\/Rob Browne)<\/p>\n
A new Covid variant is making people unwell across Wales. The strain is often overlooked due to its unpleasant symptoms being mistaken for a cold or the flu as we move into a cool and wet autumn. <\/a>The emerging Covid strain, known as Stratus, comprises two variants, XFG and XFG.3, with XFG.3 <\/a>representing 40% of cases in England as of June this year, according to data.<\/a><\/p>\n According to the most recent data published by Public Health Wales nearly 50% of coronavirus<\/a> cases were the XFG variant – based on a rolling four-week average . The exact percentage is 47.6%. Meanwhile 9.5% of cases in Wales have been attributed to the XFG.3 strain.<\/p>\n In some areas of Wales, all or nearly all recorded Covid cases were the Stratus variant including Cardiff<\/a> (100% XFG), Swansea<\/a> (100% XFG) Bridgend<\/a> (100% XFG.3), Anglesey<\/a> (100% XFG), Vale of Glamorgan (80% XFG).<\/p>\n The strain is spreading quickly and has distinct early warning signs. Over in Ireland health authorities recorded 425 new infections during the opening week of September.<\/p>\n The variant presents with a subtle initial symptom that individuals might dismiss rather than recognising as signs of illness.<\/p>\n Stratus’ most prevalent early indicator is a hoarse or gravelly voice, which subsequently develops into the typical Covid signs such as fever or coughing, reports the Mirror<\/a>.<\/p>\n Other symptoms, including nasal congestion, sore throats, stomach upsets and fatigue have also been logged by doctors.<\/p>\n Dr Peter Chin-Hong, an infectious disease specialist at the University of California San Francisco, warned that Stratus presents a “wider range of symptoms” than previous variants, The Mirror<\/a> also reported.<\/p>\n He told SFGATE: “There’s a little bit more sore throats with some people. Particularly in those who are older, who didn’t get vaccinated last year.<\/p>\n “It’s more transmissible, so we expect that a lot of people will get it. Particularly with kids going back to school<\/a>, a sniffle is likely going to be Covid.”<\/p>\n The variant surveillance data for Wales is updated once a month. The most recent data runs up to August 18.<\/p>\n Get daily breaking news updates on your phone by joining our WhatsApp community here<\/a>.<\/p>\n