UK Health Security Agency says the American COVID variant XFG remains the most common current COVID strain, and that it has been circulating in the UK and other countries for around a year. The agency also says COVID-19 positive test rates rose to around 7% in September, while hospital admission rates increased by approximately 50%.
UK Health Security Agency data
XFG has not emerged as a new arrival. UK Health Security Agency data places it in the UK and other countries for around a year, while current figures show a broader rise in COVID-19 activity rather than a separate spike tied to one variant alone.
The same data shows hospital admissions rising in step with circulation. UK Health Security Agency says it monitors GP appointments, A&E attendances and hospitalisations alongside genomic sequencing, which helps show how variants are behaving across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
American Covid label
Some media coverage refers to XFG as the Stratus variant, while some coverage has called it American Covid. The label reflects where the strain was first sequenced and detected, not necessarily where it originated, which is a useful distinction for readers trying to judge whether the name points to origin or simply to the first recorded sample.
UK Health Security Agency says current data does not indicate that these variants lead to more severe illness than other variants in circulation. It also says hospitalisations are rising in line with overall increases in COVID-19 circulation rather than rising sharply on their own.
NHS vaccination
UK Health Security Agency says colder and wetter weather means people spend more time indoors, which enables the spread of respiratory viruses. It also says immunity from vaccination and previous infection may be waning in parts of the population, after roughly a year since the last significant COVID-19 wave.
The NHS will contact eligible people if they are eligible for a COVID-19 vaccination. Current eligibility includes people aged 75 and over, those with weakened immune systems, and those living in care homes for the elderly, while the NHS also provides treatment to people with COVID-19 who are at the highest risk of becoming serious.
