Unique symptom of new Covid strain after 'razor blades' feeling
A new variant of Covid, known as XFG or Stratus, is rapidly becoming the dominant strain in the UK, with experts warning it has the ability to evade immunity. It is also being monitored by Ireland's Health Protection Surveillance Centre due to its growing presence recently, reports Cork BEO.
The strain reportedly presents a unique symptom. Just last month, doctors were reporting that a variant named Nimbus was spreading swiftly, causing severe sore throats that feel like razor blades, along with other typical Covid symptoms. However, Stratus has now surpassed Nimbus and brings with it its own distinctive symptom.
The number of Stratus cases has surged within a single month due to its capacity to infect individuals who have previously contracted Covid or received vaccinations. According to official data, Stratus has now become the prevalent Covid strain in England.
In May, Stratus accounted for 10 per cent of cases, but by mid-June, this figure had risen to 40 per cent. There are two variants of Stratus currently circulating - XFG and XFG.3, reports the Mirror.
Dr Kaywaan Khan, a Harley Street GP and Founder of Hannah London Clinic, told Cosmopolitan UK: "Unlike other variants, Stratus has certain mutations in the spike protein which could help it evade antibodies developed from prior infections or vaccinations."
Dr Khan stated that Stratus does not seem to make people 'more ill' than previous strains. However, he did note one unique symptom, stating: " One of the most noticeable symptoms of the Stratus variant is hoarseness, which includes a scratchy or raspy voice."
In general, Dr Khan said, the symptoms of Stratus tend to be 'mild to moderate'. Dr Khan said: " If you test positive, Stratus is highly contagious, and it is advised to stay home and isolate to avoid spreading to others."
Professor Lawrence Young, a virologist at Warwick University, told MailOnline: " The increased competitiveness of XFG and XFG.3 is likely due to new spike mutations which make these variants more able to evade the immune response.
"Given that immunity to Covid is waning in the population due to a decline in uptake of the spring booster jab and the reduction of Covid infections in recent months, more people will be susceptible to infection with XFG and XFG.3.
"This could lead to a new wave of infection but it's difficult to predict the extent of this wave." The World Health Organisation has classified Stratis as a 'variant under monitoring', indicating it is closely tracking the strain's transmission. It represents 22 per cent of all cases globally.
The emergence of Stratus comes swiftly after another variant - Nimbus - which was documented to cause severe throat pain in sufferers. That strain now comprises 17 per cent of all confirmed cases across the UK.
Dr Michael Gregory, regional medical Director for NHS England said: "The variant looks to be spreading rapidly within communities, with top symptoms being a 'razor blade' sore throat and swollen neck glands."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Irish Daily Mirror
6 hours ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
Cat owners warned that simple sneeze could be sign of grim illness
Countless animal species are recognised for sneezing, from chickens and dogs to elephants and even pandas. Yet, if you've noticed your cat sneezing more frequently than normal, you may be wondering what's behind it. Is it an allergy, a feline version of the common cold, or potentially something more concerning? Whilst sneezing is completely natural behaviour for cats, there are various reasons why they might develop an irritated nose. Specialists at Pet MD have put together a comprehensive list of possible conditions that could be triggering your cat's sneezes. They've also outlined when sneezing becomes worrisome and when a trip to the vet is necessary. Their website states: "If your cat's sneezing occasionally, it may just be part of the normal process to clear their nose and usually isn't concerning." If your cat is sneezing it could be a sign of an illness (Image: Alexandre Morin-Laprise via Getty Images) They continue: "However, if the sneezing is persistent or if other symptoms are present, it may indicate an underlying disease." Yet before drawing any hasty conclusions about your cat's sneezing, remember that distinguishing between a cat sneezing, coughing, gagging, reverse sneezing, hiccupping, retching, or wheezing can be remarkably challenging, reports the Mirror. Consequently, you may need to consult a veterinary professional to establish whether your cat is genuinely sneezing. The experts recommend filming your cat during a 'sneezing' episode to help the vet reach an accurate diagnosis. Five health conditions that cause cats to sneeze 1. Viral Respiratory Infections Herpesvirus in felines is chiefly recognised for triggering upper respiratory problems, including sneezing and discharge from the nose and eyes, with stress frequently exacerbating these symptoms. The feline herpes condition works in patterns, meaning a cat may bounce back from breathing difficulties and remain healthy for a while before becoming unwell again during stressful periods. Veterinary consultation is recommended if your cat displays these warning signs. 2. Bacterial infections Pet MD states that "Bacterial infections almost always play a secondary role in upper respiratory symptoms in cats", noting that yellow or green mucus from your sneezing cat's nose or eyes signals a bacterial infection due to this abnormally coloured discharge. Common bacterial culprits affecting a cat's nasal region include Bordetella, mycoplasma, and chlamydia, typically treated with antibiotic therapy. 3. Inflammation and irritation Cat sneezing can also result from inflammation, which often signals various underlying health conditions in felines. Treatment options may include oral steroids or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDs) to reduce inflammation, whilst vets can investigate any additional health concerns that could be causing your cat's distress. 4. Foreign material Specialists have noted that "Inhaling a foreign material, such as blades of grass, can of course cause irritation in the nasal passages". "When these intruders are inhaled by a cat, the body's response is to sneeze to expel the foreign debris. While this approach might work for smaller particles like dust, larger objects are difficult for a cat to remove through sneezing." 5. Dental disease Dental disease can also be a surprising culprit behind your cat's sneezes. The roots of a cat's upper jaw teeth are located very close to their nasal passages. So, if there's an infection or inflammation in the teeth, it can break down the barrier between the tooth socket and the nose, leading to sneezing. However, if your feline friend is sneezing more than usual, it's wise to get them checked out by a vet as it could indicate various health issues. Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest news from the Irish Mirror direct to your inbox: Sign up here.
Irish Daily Mirror
2 days ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
The sneaky symptoms of new Covid variant behind 175 case surge in just one week
A surge in confirmed Covid cases across Ireland has been linked to a fast-spreading new variant with subtle symptoms that could catch people off guard. In the past week, 477 new cases of Covid have been reported nationwide - a sharp jump of 175 cases from the 302 recorded the week before. Health officials say the sudden rise is being driven in part by the XFG variant, also known as Stratus, which is rapidly gaining ground in Ireland. According to the latest data from Ireland's Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC), the share of confirmed Covid cases linked to the XFG variant has risen dramatically, jumping from 16.3% two weeks ago to 40.9% this week - more than doubling in just a fortnight. The World Health Organization has labelled the Stratus strain a "variant under monitoring" and warned that while it may not lead to more severe illness, it appears to spread faster. One of the most unusual symptoms flagged by doctors so far is a hoarse or raspy voice, which some patients have reported before developing more classic signs of Covid. This sneaky early warning could go unnoticed and therefore allow the virus to spread quietly before people even realise they're infected. Dr Kaywaan Khan, a Harley Street GP and Founder of Hannah London Clinic, shared with Cosmopolitan UK that "one of the most noticeable symptoms of the Stratus variant is hoarseness, which includes a scratchy or raspy voice." Ireland's public health guidelines remain the same: If you have any symptoms of Covid, stay at home until 48 hours after the symptoms are mostly or fully gone. You should also avoid contact with other people, especially people at higher risk from Covid. The HSE is reminding the public of the wide range of Covid symptoms to look out for. These include: fever (high temperature - 38C or above) - including having chills dry cough fatigue (tiredness) 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 dizziness shortness of breath or breathing difficulties loss of appetite confusion pain or pressure in the chest. Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest news from the Irish Mirror direct to your inbox: Sign up here. For the latest news and breaking news visit Get all the big headlines, pictures, analysis, opinion and video on the stories that matter to you. Follow us on Twitter @IrishMirror - the official Irish Mirror Twitter account - real news in real time. We're also on Facebook/irishmirror - your must-see news, features, videos and pictures throughout the day from the Irish Daily Mirror, Irish Sunday Mirror and
The Irish Sun
2 days ago
- The Irish Sun
‘One-two-punch' cancer vaccine weaponises the immune system to attack ANY tumour – raising hopes of universal jab
A NEW experimental cancer jab could one day be used to fight any type of tumour, US scientists claim. Experts from the University of Florida say they've developed a powerful 1 The discovery brings us closer to a universal cancer jab that could work across many tumour types Credit: Getty It's dubbed the 'one-two punch' after the powerful boxing move where a jab sets up a cross to knock the opponent down. This is because this jab also works in two steps: first by waking up the immune system, then helping it attack cancer cells more effectively. It doesn't prevent disease, like vaccines are typically used. Rather, it is used as a form of treatment. The study showed it boosted the effects of immunotherapy, a type of cancer treatment that helps the immune system recognise and attack cancer cells. Read more on cancer Research in mice showed that combining the jab with a common immunotherapy drug called an immune checkpoint inhibitor helped fight even resistant tumours. Dr Elias Sayour, the study's senior author, said: 'This paper describes a very unexpected and exciting observation: that even a vaccine not specific to any particular tumour or virus, so long as it is an mRNA vaccine, could lead to tumour-specific effects. 'This finding is a proof of concept that these vaccines potentially could be commercialised as universal cancer vaccines to sensitise the immune system against a patient's individual tumour.' Unlike previous cancer vaccines that try to hone in on a particular protein in the cell, the new jab works by simply firing up the immune system, tricking it into responding as if it were under viral attack. Most read in Health By boosting levels of a protein called PD-L1 inside tumours, it makes them more receptive to immunotherapy and helps immune cells recognise the tumours as dangerous. Lead scientist Dr Duane Mitchell, co-author of the study, said: 'What we found is by using a vaccine designed not to target cancer specifically but rather to stimulate a strong immunologic response, we could elicit a very strong anticancer reaction. The signs and symptoms of cancer 'And so this has significant potential to be broadly used across cancer patients, even possibly leading us to an off-the-shelf cancer vaccine.' For the past eight years, Dr Sayour's lab has been developing cutting-edge vaccines using the same mRNA technology found in Covid jabs. Last year, they They saw a fast and fierce immune response that helped fight off the cancer. 'Profound' The latest study, published today in In mice with While in some skin, bone, and brain cancer models, the jab alone eliminated tumours completely. Dr Sayour explained: 'Even an immune response that is seemingly unrelated to the cancer may be able to activate T cells that weren't working before, allowing them to multiply and kill the tumour if the response is strong enough.' Dr Mitchell said: 'It could potentially be a universal way of waking up a patient's own immune response to cancer. 'And that would be profound if generalisable to human studies.' The team are now working to improve the formula and begin human trials as soon as possible. Cancer treatments explained – from chemotherapy to radiotherapy and surgery Because everybody is different and people's cancers are caught at different stages, there is no one size fits all treatment. It's also common for patients to be offered a combination of treatments to provide the best chance of survival. According to the NHS, there are six main ways of treating cancer. Surgery : Removes the tumour physically; not used for cancers like blood or lymphatic system tumours. Radiotherapy : Uses high-energy rays (like X-rays) to destroy cancer cells and shrink tumours. Nearly half of cancer patients receive this. Common side effects include fatigue and sore skin. Chemotherapy : Systemic treatment with powerful drugs that kill fast-dividing cells throughout the body. May be given before or after surgery to shrink tumours or reduce recurrence risk. Side effects range from hair loss to nausea. Hormonal therapy : Stops certain cancers (like breast or prostate) from growing by blocking hormone production or function. Targeted/biological therapy : Focuses on specific cancer-linked proteins or genetic changes; also includes some immunotherapy drugs. Stem cell/bone marrow transplant – Replaces damaged blood-forming cells after high-dose chemotherapy or radiotherapy; used in cancers like lymphoma, leukemia and myeloma.
