Overview
- By early July, XFG made up over 30% of Covid-19 infections in the United Kingdom and 14% in the United States after ascending from 7.4% of global cases in April to 22.7% in May.
- The World Health Organization designates XFG as a low-priority variant under monitoring and continues international genomic surveillance without imposing travel or trade restrictions.
- The hybrid strain originated through recombination of LF.7 and LP.8.1.2 viruses when individuals were co-infected, boosting its transmission potential.
- A distinct symptom of hoarseness and a raspy voice helps clinicians identify potential XFG infections early.
- WHO guidance and preliminary studies indicate that existing JN.1-based vaccines and antivirals such as nirmatrelvir (Paxlovid) and remdesivir (Veklury) remain effective against severe disease.