Should We Worry About The Latest COVID-19 Variants?

Stratus and Nimbus variants

If you’re struggling to keep up with all the variant names at this point, we get it. As a reminder, we’re onto clouds now, with the two most widespread subvariants at present being XFG, dubbed Stratus, and NB.1.8.1, or Nimbus. 

Data from the UK, Canada, and European Union all show an increase in COVID cases in recent weeks. In the US, the latest Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data at time of writing showed an uptick in cases that peaked towards the end of August, before starting to drop back down.

All of this activity is thought to be driven primarily by Stratus and Nimbus. These are both offshoots of the Omicron lineage, which is why we haven’t heard a new Greek letter in a while. 

Omicron was first identified way back in November 2021, with the first case in the US following in early December. By the end of that month, it was the dominant strain across the country, and other regions were also seeing it take off in an unprecedented way. 

That original Omicron variant has since been superseded by a long string of subvariants as the virus has mutated – not quite enough to spawn an entirely new variant, but enough to keep humanity on its toes. Some of these subvariants also hybridized with each other, producing new combinations that while still within the wider Omicron family, had greater ability to evade prior immunity.

On the flip side, the Omicron variants have generally seemed to cause less severe disease than their predecessors like Delta and the original Alpha COVID-19 variant from the beginning of the pandemic. Omicron also came along at a time when vaccines had become available, so the whole landscape of the pandemic had changed drastically from the year before. 

We’re left with a situation where the Nimbus and Stratus variants appear to be pretty good at spreading themselves around, meaning we will still see periods with lots of virus circulating within communities. However, we also have all the tools and knowledge we’ve accumulated from living through this pandemic.

What are the symptoms of the latest COVID-19 variants?

You’ll want to be on the lookout for the usual symptoms of a respiratory infection, including:

• Cough
• Congestion
• Sore throat
• Headache
• Fatigue
• Fever (not always present)

Some people also report gastrointestinal symptoms like nausea and diarrhea with COVID. With each new subvariant, there’s a lot of attention paid to the “new” symptoms they cause – with Nimbus it was “razor blade throat”, whereas with Stratus people were reporting hoarseness. 

As ever at this time of year, it can be hard to tell COVID-19 apart from other respiratory infections like colds, flu, and RSV, or even autumnal allergies. 

What can people do about COVID-19?

At-home COVID tests may still be available from your pharmacy, but the same precautions apply whether you have COVID-19 or any type of respiratory infection: stay home if at all possible and avoid contact with vulnerable people (e.g. hospital patients, those in long-term care facilities, and the immunocompromised).

The UK Health Security Agency recently published a blog post with a reminder of actions you can take to help prevent the spread of respiratory pathogens, including:

• Wearing a well-fitting face mask
• Avoiding crowded, poorly ventilated places if you have symptoms
• Exercising outdoors to avoid close contact with others
• Covering your mouth and nose when you cough or sneeze
• Washing or sanitizing your hands regularly

The best line of defense we have against all subvariants of this virus is still vaccination. Evidence suggests that it not only helps prevent severe acute illness and hospitalization, it can also reduce the risk of long COVID. 

Depending on where you live, vaccination might look a little different this year. The CDC and the UK’s National Health Service have both made changes to their guidance for this year’s vaccine campaigns.

“CDC recommends a 2024-2025 COVID-19 vaccine for most adults ages 18 and older,” the agency says. “Parents of children ages 6 months to 17 years should discuss the benefits of vaccination with a healthcare provider.”

Canada’s guidance is similar, recommending vaccines to the most vulnerable groups but stating that everyone aged 6 months and over may receive a vaccine if they wish. 

In the UK, vaccines will only be offered via the national program to adults aged 75 and over, care home residents, and individuals aged 6 months and over who are classed as immunosuppressed.

Because vaccine eligibility and recommendations vary so much between different locations, it’s best to seek advice from a pharmacist, doctor, or health authority where you are to find out what’s available.

The content of this article is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions.