- Covid-19 hospital admission rates in England have surged by almost 50 per cent, driven by a rise in positive test results.
- More than half of positive tests were identified as the XFG variant, also known as Stratus or the ‘American Covid’ strain.
- Health experts stress the rise is not a cause for alarm as overall cases remain low and the variant does not appear to cause more severe disease.
- Eligible and vulnerable groups, including people aged 75 and over, are urged to get autumn vaccinations specifically designed to target the strain.
- Symptoms of the Stratus strain remain similar to previous variants, including sore throat, cough, fever, fatigue, and hoarseness.
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