India, Oct. 8 -- The XFG strain, also known as Stratus or "American Covid", is back in the spotlight with a new rise in Covid-19 activity in the UK. The latest figures from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) show a sharp increase in reported infections and Covid-related hospital admissions, with XFG being associated with over half of the positive hospital samples sequenced. However, health officials have emphasised there is no evidence that XFG causes more severe disease than other variants in circulation at this time.

What is the XFG or 'American Covid' strain?

XFG is a recombinant lineage of SARS-CoV-2 that has been circulating internationally and is also referred to as Stratus or "American Covid". Recent UK surveillance has identi...