Unique symptom of new Covid variant 'Stratus' confirmed by GP
The strain, officially termed XFG, is on the rise in neighbouring countries and comes after the Nimbus variant, which was associated with a particularly painful sore throat. Stratus has been identified as the dominant strain in England by the UK Health Security Agency.
Dr Kaywaan Khan, Harley Street GP and Founder of Hannah London Clinic, shared that you could test positive for this variant even if you had Covid or you have been vaccinated against the virus.
"Unlike other variants, Stratus has certain mutations in the spike protein which could help it evade antibodies developed from prior infections or vaccinations," he informed Cosmopolitan UK, reports RSVP Live.
He noted that although Stratus may not make you "more ill" compared to other strains, it does come with a unique symptom.
Dr Khan highlighted: "One of the most noticeable symptoms of the Stratus variant is hoarseness, which includes a scratchy or raspy voice." He categorised the symptoms of Stratus as ranging from "mild to moderate".
He advised that if you test positive, given that Stratus is highly contagious, you should stay at home and self-isolate to prevent passing it on.
Other symptoms are in line with general Covid symptoms, with HSE listing ones to look out for:
The most common symptoms of COVID-19 (coronavirus) are:
fever (high temperature - 38 degrees Celsius or above) - including having chills
dry cough
fatigue (tiredness)
COVID-19 symptoms can be like symptoms of cold, flu or hay fever. You may not have all of the symptoms or your symptoms may be mild.
Less common symptoms of COVID-19 include:
loss or change to your sense of smell or taste – this could mean they're completely gone or just different to normal
nasal congestion (runny or blocked nose)
conjunctivitis (also known as red eye or pink eye)
sore throat
headache
muscle or joint pain (aches and pains)
different types of skin rash
nausea or vomiting
diarrhoea
chills or dizziness
Severe symptoms
Symptoms of severe COVID‐19 include:
shortness of breath or breathing difficulties
loss of appetite
confusion
pain or pressure in the chest
fever (high temperature - 38 degrees Celsius or above)
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