* A new COVID-19 variant, XFG or "Stratus," is on the rise in the United States, including in New Jersey.
* Symptoms of XFG are similar to other COVID-19 variants, and current vaccines are expected to remain effective.
* XFG accounted for a significant percentage of cases in New Jersey in recent months.
It's been a little more than five years since the COVID-19 pandemic ripped through the country, and now a new variant of the disease is slowly beginning to rise in cases.
Variant XFG, often referred to as "Stratus," was first detected in Southeast Asia in January. But reported cases in the United States remained close to none until May.
By late June, its presence began to spike and it became one of the most common variants of COVID-19, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
XFG cases have been on the rise in New Jersey. By mid-July the variant accounted for more than half of the reported cases in the state, according to the New Jersey Department of Health.
What is COVID variant XFG?
Variant XFG is a combination of COVID-19 variants F.7 and LP.8.1.2.
The mutations within XFG can potentially enhance the variant's ability to evade immune responses, but its binding behavior shows that it is less likely to be as contagious as other popular variants, Subhash Verma, a microbiology and immunology professor at the University of Nevada, Reno, told the USA TODAY.
The World Health Organization, aka WHO, added XFG to its watchlist. But it determined that the public risk posed by the variant was "low" as of late June.
WHO also noted that the currently approved COVID-19 vaccines are expected to remain effective for this variant in terms of symptom and disease severity.
How common is XFG in New Jersey?
The New Jersey Department of Health has been tracking the number of COVID-19 cases by week.
XFG cases started appearing in New Jersey in the last week of March, with the variant accounting for 1% of reported cases. Since then there's been a weekly increase in the percentage, with a notable jump happening in early May with XFG accounting for 27% of reported cases.
The variant was most notably present in the state during early June, when XFG made up 75% of reported COVID-19 cases.
The latest available data is from mid-July, where XFG was the variant for 57% of reported cases.
As of Aug. 5, the CDC is estimated that COVID-19 infections are growing in New Jersey. The weekly number of emergency department visits that resulted in a COVID-19 diagnosis, however, was only 0.62% in the state.
COVID symptoms 2025
There's no evidence that XFG causes any distinctly different symptoms from other variants, according to Verma. News reports have associated hoarseness with the strain.
In most cases, look out for the usual COVID-19 symptoms to help determine if you have contracted the illness.
Common COVID-19 symptoms, according to the CDC:
* Fever or chills.
* Cough or sore throat.
* Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing.
* Congestion or a runny nose.
* New loss of taste or smell.
* Fatigue.
* Muscle or body aches.
* Headaches.
* Nausea or vomiting.
The CDC advises seeking medical care if you experience:
* Trouble breathing.
* Persistent pain or pressure in the chest.
* New confusion.
* Inability to wake or stay awake.
Risha Inaganti writes about trending topics across South Jersey for the Courier-Post. If you have a story she should tell, email her at [email protected]. Subscribe to stay up to date on the news you need.