Hoarseness is the distinctive symptom to watch for with the XFG variant of COVID-19, the strain behind the autumn rise in cases in Britain, according to BBC doctor Dr Ranj Singh, speaking on BBC Morning Live and reported by Opera News, and the news service JournalArta. XFG, also known as the Stratus variant and nicknamed "American Covid" in some coverage because its rise was first detected in the United States, has been the most common COVID variant in circulation in the UK this autumn.
Figures from the UK Health Security Agency show COVID-positive test rates in the UK rose to around 7 percent in September, while hospital admission rates increased by approximately 50 percent over the same period, according to the BBC report and JournalArta. The agency's monthly figures show 8,518 people contracted COVID in October, a 40 percent increase on September, which saw 5,201 cases overall, according to the BBC report. A total of 1,847 COVID-19 cases were identified in hospital settings in the seven days up to 27 October, down from 2,151 in the previous week, and deaths recorded in the week to 16 October rose by 25 percent to 69, from 55 the previous week.
Readers should note that these are September and October figures, and the most recent UKHSA update, reported on 9 November, says COVID activity has since decreased in the latest week, with hospital cases and test positivity both falling. The agency also reports that TA.1, a mutation of XFG first detected in June, has now become the dominant variant in England, accounting for more than 30 percent of tested cases. The autumn surge driven by XFG has therefore eased, even as its descendant takes over.
The UKHSA says there is currently no evidence that XFG causes more severe illness than other variants in circulation, according to the BBC report. Admissions rose in line with the overall increase in COVID circulation rather than sharply on their own, which the agency says points to a general rise in activity rather than a more dangerous variant. Increases were seen consistently across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, as well as across Europe and the United States, indicating this is not a localised trend.
As winter approaches, colder and wetter weather means people spend more time indoors, which helps respiratory viruses spread, according to the UKHSA. The agency monitors GP appointments, emergency department attendances and hospitalisations alongside genomic sequencing to track how variants are behaving, and it continues to advise vaccination for those eligible. Anyone with a new hoarse voice alongside other cold-like symptoms should consider testing, as Dr Ranj advised viewers this week.