Brits issued urgent Covid warning as England sees surge of 'American' variant as number in hospital rises

Brits issued urgent Covid warning as England sees surge of 'American' variant as number in hospital rises Brits reported being left unwell for weeks after contracting the XFG, or 'American' version of Covid, which UKHSA data shows has infected thousands of people across England A surge of Covid cases and hospitalisations in England has prompted a warning about a new "American" strain that is rapidly spreading through households and leaving people sick for weeks on end. The latest data from the UK Health and Security Agency (UKHSA) shows that positive cases of the virus recorded in hospital settings have risen from 5.9 percent to 7 percent in the space of just a few weeks. With that, the number of people hospitalised with severe infections has also increased. London was one of the worst affected areas, with the highest increase of what has been dubbed "American" mutant Covid hospitalisations in the country at 79 percent. The latest figures, from September 23, show that weekly cases are at 1,364, an increase of 303, or 28.6 percent countrywide on the previous week. A total of 18 people have died up to September 18, the same data adds, a decrease of one, but the number of people hospitalised has increased by 34 up to August 31. More than half of the positive tests behind the latest increase in cases came from a variant of XFG, otherwise known as Stratus or "American" Covid. It is a mix of previous variants LF.7 and LP.8.1.2. and was first identified in January 2025. The variant has since spread to become the dominant strain worldwide. It causes a range of nasty symptoms, many of which aren't seen as hallmarks of the virus. Stratus Covid symptoms include: - Persistent headache and fatigue - Cough with a mild fever - Muscle cramping, nausea (physical sickness) or diarrhea - Runny, blocked nose with nasal redness - Severe watery eyes Alex Allen, consultant epidemiologist at the UKHSA, said data reveals an increase in cases, the general trend for the country is that the overall load remains low. He said: "While Covid-19 activity has shown some recent increases, cases remain at low levels in the UK. UKHSA is monitoring all the data relating to Covid-19 variants in the UK and abroad, and we continue to publish our findings in our regular surveillance reports." Brits have reported feeling increasingly unwell online, saying in social media posts that their entire households were left unwell after contracting the virus. One Brit commenting on Reddit said: "My whole household has Covid as we speak. I’d got to the point where I had almost started to think it had gone away but that was premature." Another added that they had been left knocked out by the bug for weeks on end. They said: "I have been really ill for about 6 weeks and the past 2 weeks on top of that been extra knocked out i.e feel like I have been heavily drinking, sniffles etc. "Had a burning sensation at back of my mouth for 2 weeks very badly and since then mildly." People who may be particularly at risk of contracting the virus have been urged to get vaccinated, including Brits aged over 75, care home residents and immunosuppressed individuals.