Unique symptom of horror ‘American Covid’ spreading in UK as 5-day rule issued

Thousands of people across the UK are falling ill with the dominant strain of Covid, XFG, dubbed American Covid after rapidly spreading across the USA. While the strain has been known since last year, it has now become dominant in several countries, with medical experts warning that it has some unique symptoms. New figures from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) show hospital admissions relating to Covid increased by almost 50% in a week. And, some parts of the country have seen much sharper increases.

Pharmacist Daniel Cheung, writing in NowPatient, said there is a key symptom of XFG – also known as Stratus. He said: “The key symptoms and most noticeable symptoms of the Stratus variant include hoarseness, scratchy/raspy voice, which is considered a unique symptom distinguishing it from other Covid strains.”

He said other symptoms include a dry cough, sore throat, fever, fatigue, muscle aches and a loss of sense of taste and smell.

GP Dr Renée Hoenderkamp told the Mail patients with Covid now complain of sore throats, headaches, runny noses and fatigue. She said: “In the past 10 days to three weeks in general practice, my lists have definitely changed to people with these symptoms.”

One woman who recently had Covid explained her symptoms, saying: “I was absolutely exhausted, with a temperature, cough and really painful flu-like aches in my legs and joints. There were times in the morning when I’d think: ‘I’m fine, get your act together’, but by lunchtime I’d have to go back to bed. I slept through a lot of it.”

She added that her daughter “had a really bad headache, sore throat and cough, a raging temperature and was completely exhausted”. Her GP said they had seen three patients with similar symptoms that day.

According to the NHS, if you have Covid symptoms, you should try to stay at home and avoid contact with other people if you have a high temperature or do not feel well enough to go to work, school, childcare, or do your normal activities. It also states that anyone under 18 who tests positive for COVID should stay home for three days. Those over 18 should stay home for five days. And you should stay away from anyone vulnerable for 10 days.

GP Dr Saira Bano, founder of SwiftDoctor, said: “A loss or change in your sense of taste or smell is still a recognised Covid symptom, but it isn’t the giveaway sign people may remember from earlier in the pandemic. It became much less common with Omicron compared with earlier variants, and an ordinary cold can also reduce your sense of smell, particularly if your nose is badly congested.

“So a change in taste or smell shouldn’t automatically be taken to mean you have Covid. Nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea can also occur with Covid and other respiratory viral infections, but they aren’t the dominant symptoms you’d normally expect with a straightforward cold. If vomiting and diarrhoea are the main problem, I’d also consider a stomach infection such as norovirus rather than immediately assuming it’s flu or Covid.”

Most eligible adults in England can now receive their NHS vaccination for the flu and Covid. The autumn Covid vaccination programme is more targeted this year. In England, it includes adults aged 75 and over, residents of care homes for older adults and people aged six months and over who are immunosuppressed.