Stratus Variant: What you need to know about the new Covid strain

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Transcript

00:00A new variant of COVID has been detected in the UK.

00:03Hi, I'm health reporter Sarah McCann. Here is everything you need to know about Stratus and

00:08what this could mean for your summer. There have been many different variants and strains of COVID

00:14since the start of the pandemic in 2020. The latest on-scene, XFG, is also known as Stratus.

00:21Stratus is a sub-variant of Omicron. It combines two previous strains, LF7 and LP812. It was first

00:32detected in a sample on January 27th, 2025 and has been declared as a variant under monitoring

00:39by the World Health Organization. Despite the many different types of COVID strains and variants,

00:45symptoms have remained largely the same. They can include a new continuous cough,

00:50a loss or change your sense of smell, high temperature, fatigue, headache, blocked nose,

00:56sore throat or stomach upset. However, as well as having these symptoms, the Stratus strain also

01:02reportedly gives patients a scratchy or raspy throat. Despite it being summer, COVID hasn't

01:09went away. It's important that if you suspect you have symptoms, you test to rule it out,

01:14just to prevent accidentally spreading COVID to someone who is vulnerable.

01:18You can find out more about COVID, the signs and symptoms, where you can access tests at nhs.uk.