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New coronavirus variants are constantly emerging. “Stratus” (XFG) is currently responsible for most infections, and you need to know about it.
Since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, the SARS-CoV-2 virus has repeatedly produced new variants. “Stratus” (XFG) now dominates in Austria, causing rising infection rates and the first coronavirus wave of the season.
After the classic cold viruses (40 percent), this variant is responsible for 21 percent of infections, or rather, it is the leading cause. It first appeared in the data of epidemiologists in Canada at the end of January 2025. It is a recombination of the two known Omicron variants LF.7 and LP.8.1.2. Since the end of June 2025, “Stratus” has been classified as a “variant under observation” and is being closely monitored.
Compared to Omicron (LP.8.1), the “Stratus” variant has a slightly increased immune escape and can therefore spread more easily than the other current variants. This means that it can more easily evade the immune system, penetrate cells more quickly, and multiply more rapidly. Experts, therefore, consider it to be more contagious.
Nevertheless, the WHO assesses the additional risk to public health posed by “Stratus” as low compared to previous variants. The data available so far do not indicate that XFG leads to more severe disease than the most recent circulating variants.
The symptoms of a classic SARS-CoV-2 infection have changed significantly recently, as Rudolf Schmitzberger, head of the vaccination department at the Austrian Medical Association, recently explained in an interview with “Heute.” “They have become milder, more like a mild respiratory infection—in other words, a cold,” said the doctor. Typical and widespread complaints reported by Covid-19 patients currently include “sore throat, hoarse voice, and fatigue. Sore throats are particularly often described as feeling like razor blades.”
This makes it all the more difficult to detect an actual coronavirus infection. Antigen tests in particular do not always detect such diseases, as they only show a positive result if a large amount of the virus is actually being excreted. “When someone comes into contact with the virus for the first time, their immune system has not yet built up any defences against it. The virus can multiply, leading to a high viral load in the body. This can also be detected by rapid tests,“ virologist Monika Redlberger-Fritz from MedUni Vienna told ”Heute.”
However, our immune system, which has been well-trained over the past five years, ensures a lower viral load. “The more often we come into contact with the virus, the better our immune system is trained and the sooner it brings the virus in the body under control. As a result, the viral load is no longer as high.” So if you have been infected several times, it is possible that the test will not detect an infection at all.
Reliable PCR tests, on the other hand, are only free for high-risk patients at private practices.
Experts in the country agree that anyone who feels ill should currently stay at home. In addition, masks still protect against infection. These are particularly recommended for people in confined spaces with many other people: “Ultimately, it’s for your own protection,” says environmental physician Dr. Hans-Peter Hutter from MedUni Vienna. Wearing a properly fitting mask can reduce your risk of coronavirus infection by around 80–95%. If both people (infected and healthy) wear FFP2 masks, the probability of infection drops to less than 1%, even with close contact over several minutes.
It is also still effective to keep your distance wherever possible. And then there is ventilation—even in cooler temperatures. “How often you ventilate depends mainly on how many people are in the room. But you can say that you should open the windows every two hours.” In an office, this means ventilating four times during an 8-hour working day. Three to four minutes of intensive ventilation is sufficient. “This exchanges the air and minimizes the risk of infection.”
The coronavirus vaccine can also prevent or mitigate severe cases of the “Stratus” variant. “XFG is well covered by the vaccines due to its BA.2.86 origin,” says Redlberger-Fritz, adding, “What’s more, NOW is the ideal time for it.” Vulnerable groups in particular, i.e., those who are at risk of developing severe COVID, should take advantage of the offer. These include older people over the age of 60, those with chronic illnesses, and people with weak immune systems, such as pregnant women.
- source: heute.at/picture: pixabay.co
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