August 19, Tuesday: As America prepares for a late-summer COVID-19 wave, medical experts caution that a fresh variant, known as Stratus, is driving an increase in infections. The U.S. Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has been reporting growing positivity rates across the country, including Texas as one of the worst-affected states
In accordance with the CDC, Texas test positivity is currently at 11.8%, compared to the national average of 8.9%. COVID-19 emergency department visits are rising in all age groups, with a significant surge in those under the age of 12. Although national wastewater surveillance indicates "low" levels of viral activity, Texas has "very high" levels of COVID presence.
Steven Love, president and CEO of the DFW Hospital Council, told NBC 5 that the current wave is being driven by summer travel, lagging vaccination rates, and the highly contagious Stratus variant. “As kids go back to school, we’re going to have to be very careful because COVID-19 will begin to spread,” Love cautioned.
What is the Stratus variant?
Initially found in Southeast Asia this year, the Stratus variant (known scientifically as XFG) is a member of the Omicron family and soon became the most prevalent strain in the U.S. by August. According to experts, such as Dr. William Schaffner, director of the Vanderbilt University Medical Center's Infectious Diseases Division, Stratus is more contagious but does not seem to make people sicker than previous Omicron variants.
Symptoms are familiar like sore throat, cough, fever, headache, congestion, fatigue and an anecdotal mention of "razor blade throat." The CDC emphasizes that testing is still vital for confirmation
Precautions to keep in mind
Public health officials recommend maintaining standard precautions like wearing a mask in crowded areas, handwashing on regular intervals, staying home if ill, and remaining up to date on vaccinations. New boosters are coming this fall, but today's vaccines continue to offer robust protection against severe disease from Stratus.
While experts emphasize this is not a return to the pandemic peak, Love summed it up: “COVID-19 is going to be endemic. It will come back, and we’re going to see it from now on.”
