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Irish Daily Mirror
2 days ago
- Health
- 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
Dublin Live
13-07-2025
- Health
- Dublin Live
Unique symptom of new Covid strain after 'razor blades' feeling
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info 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."
Irish Daily Mirror
10-07-2025
- Health
- Irish Daily Mirror
Signs you may have new Covid variant Stratus that has one 'identifiable symptom'
Another new Covid variant has been confirmed in Ireland, with experts warning it is spreading rapidly across the globe. The Stratus strain, which includes sub-lineages XFG and XFG.3, is now under close watch by Ireland's Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) due to a sharp rise in cases. According to the latest data, Stratus now accounts for 49.9% of all sequenced Covid cases in Ireland, a significant surge from just 16.1% a month ago. The World Health Organization (WHO) has classified Stratus as a "variant under monitoring" and has urged global health agencies to track its spread and potential impact. While Stratus does not appear to cause more severe illness, experts warn that it may be more contagious, with symptoms that can catch people off guard. One standout symptom has been noted by doctors: a hoarse or raspy voice. 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:
The Irish Sun
05-07-2025
- Health
- The Irish Sun
13 symptoms of super-contagious ‘Frankenstein' Covid-19 variant as cases rise in Ireland
IRISH people are being warned about a new strain of Covid-19 as cases rise in the country. The two new strains of the coronavirus, including a "super-contagious Frankenstein" variant, are rapidly spreading across Ireland and the 1 The new Covid-19 strains are rapidly spreading across Ireland and the UK Credit: Alamy The XFG variant, known as Stratus, is now the dominant strain in England, according to the data issued by the UK And the strain now accounts for 10 per cent of weekly cases in Ireland, according to new data from the Health Protection Surveillance Centre. The Health Protection Surveillance Centre recently reported 461 cases and 173 The new Stratus is understood to be more infectious than the previous READ MORE ON COVID-19 This can be seen in the UK Covid-19 cases, as it jumped from 10 per cent to almost 40 per cent three weeks later in the middle of June. The new strain is a descendant of the already extremely virulent Omicron and is referred to as a "recombinant" or Frankenstein strain. This indicates that it first appeared as a new hybrid variation after an individual contracted two Covid-19 strains simultaneously. However, there is currently no evidence that Stratus causes more severe illness, and science shows that getting a Covid-19 vaccine is "very likely" to offer protection from severe illness and hospitalisation, according to Mr Young. Most read in Health Trump signs exec order BANNING virus research feared to have sparked Covid Speaking to the "This could lead to a new wave of infection but it's difficult to predict the extent of this wave." Last month, the SIGNS TO WATCH FOR The symptoms of the variant are similar to other strains of the virus. It includes shortness of breath, feeling ill or being sick, a loss or change to their smell or taste and a loss of appetite. Some infections may show symptoms, such as nasal congestion, conjunctivitis, sore throat, headache, muscle or joint pain, skin rash, diarrhoea, chills, or dizziness. If you are currently experiencing any symptoms of COVID-19 and feeling unwell, you are urged to stay at home until 48 hours after your symptoms are mostly or fully gone. Avoid contact with other people, especially people at higher risk from Covid-19. People are urged to call 112 or 999 if they are very short of breath and cannot complete a sentence.
Irish Daily Mirror
05-07-2025
- Health
- Irish Daily Mirror
New Covid variant in Ireland sparks warning over unusual symptoms
Another new Covid variant with unusual symptoms has been confirmed in Ireland, with experts warning it is spreading rapidly across the globe. The strain, known as Stratus, includes sub-lineages XFG and XFG.3, and is being closely monitored by Ireland's Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) due to its growing presence in recent weeks. According to the latest data, confirmed Covid cases across all variants more than doubled in the past month, rising from 216 in a single week to 461 in the most recent week. Stratus now accounts for approximately 10% of weekly cases in Ireland. Last week, the World Health Organization (WHO) classified Stratus as a "variant under monitoring", urging health agencies worldwide to track its spread and potential impact. While the new strain doesn't appear to cause more severe illness, experts fear it may be more contagious, and its symptoms are catching many people off guard. While older variants typically presented like a bad cold or flu, Stratus is now being linked to the unique symptom of giving people a hoarse voice. Dr Kaywaan Khan from 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. One of the most noticeable symptoms of the Stratus variant is hoarseness, which includes a scratchy or raspy voice." Dr Khan added that its symptoms tend to be mild to moderate in general. People in Ireland experiencing hoarseness, fatigue or flu-like symptoms are being reminded that Covid could still be the cause. 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:
