Thailand detects 33 cases of XFG Covid strain
Thailand has reported 33 cases of the Covid-19 XFG “Stratus” strain since April, with mild symptoms and no hospitalisations, health officials confirm.
The Department of Medical Sciences (DMS) announced on Tuesday that 33 cases of infection with the XFG strain of the Covid-19 virus have been detected in Thailand.
DMS director-general Dr Yongyos Thammawut said the new variant, commonly referred to as Stratus, was first detected in Thailand in April. As of September 24, 33 cases had been reported, with most found in Public Health Zone 13, which recorded 23 cases.
He noted that most patients developed only mild symptoms, such as fever, cough, runny nose, sore throat and headache. None required hospitalisation.
Although the XFG strain has not caused severe illness, Yongyos urged the public to remain cautious by frequently washing hands and avoiding crowded places. He also advised anyone with high fever, persistent cough or breathing difficulties to seek medical attention immediately.
The DMS has decoded the genome of SARS-CoV-2 variants found in 608 samples collected between April 1 and September 24, with results as follows:
- 73.7%: NB.1.8.1 variant
- 8.7%: XEC variant
- 6.4%: JN.1 variant
- 5.4%: XFG variant
- 5.7%: Other variants
Since the Covid-19 outbreak in 2020, Thailand has uploaded 48,865 genome samples of SARS-CoV-2 variants to the Global Initiative on Sharing All Influenza Data (GISAID), a global science initiative and public–private partnership that provides free public access to viral genomic data.
