The Stratus or XFG variant transmits easily and is spreading worldwide. Stratus is a combination of variants F.7 and LP.8.1.2. While it didn’t account for a single reported U.S. case in April, it accounted for 43% of cases by the end of June.

The “Stratus” variant (XFG) was first identified in January in Southeast Asia. By June, it accounted for 14% of COVID cases in the U.S. While the symptoms of XFG are generally consistent with other COVID variants, some patients have reported hoarseness as a potential distinguishing symptom.