Ireland is currently experiencing a notable increase in Covid-19 cases, with 545 new infections confirmed across the country over the past week. The highly transmissible XFG variant, also referred to as Stratus, is now responsible for the vast majority of cases—making up 87.5% of infections, a sharp rise from just 33% six weeks earlier, reports The Mirror.
Dublin recorded the most new cases last week with 76, followed by Galway with 60 and Cork with 57. At the lower end, Louth had no new infections, while Kerry reported 2 and Mayo had 3.
The World Health Organization has identified Stratus as a “variant under monitoring”, explaining that although it doesn’t appear to lead to more serious illness, it does seem to spread more rapidly than earlier forms—something that aligns with the uptick in cases seen in Ireland, reports The Mirror.
Doctors are now pointing to early and subtle symptoms that could easily be missed. Among the more prominent is a hoarse or raspy voice, which can show up before more well-known Covid signs appear.
Harley Street GP Dr Kaywaan Khan told Cosmopolitan UK: “One of the most noticeable symptoms of the Stratus variant is hoarseness, which includes a scratchy or raspy voice,” reports The Mirror.
Infectious disease specialist Dr Peter Chin-Hong of the University of California San Francisco added that the Stratus variant is associated with “a wider range of symptoms,” such as nasal congestion and stomach-related complaints, although most infections are still mild.
He told SFGATE: “There’s a little bit more sore throats with some people. Particularly in those who are older, who didn’t get vaccinated last year. It’s more transmissible, so we expect that a lot of people will get it. Particularly with kids going back to school, a sniffle is likely going to be Covid,” reports The Mirror.
He also mentioned that Stratus behaves similarly to past variants like Nimbus, which circulated during the summer and was known to cause extremely sore throats in some cases.
Ireland’s public health advice has not changed: anyone experiencing symptoms of Covid-19 should stay home until at least 48 hours after those symptoms have mostly or fully resolved. People are also urged to limit contact with others, especially those who may be more vulnerable to the virus, reports The Mirror.
The HSE is continuing to urge the public to stay alert for the full list of 18 known Covid symptoms, which include:
fever (high temperature – 38°C or above), including chills
dry cough
fatigue (tiredness)
loss or change to your sense of smell or taste – this could mean they’re completely gone or just different to normal
nasal congestion (runny or blocked nose)
conjunctivitis (also known as red eye or pink eye)
sore throat
headache
muscle or joint pain (aches and pains)
different types of skin rash
nausea or vomiting
diarrhoea
chills
dizziness
shortness of breath or breathing difficulties
loss of appetite
confusion
pain or pressure in the chest.
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