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XFG Variant Now Drives Nearly Half of Global COVID-19 Cases

Global health authorities maintain a low-risk rating following evidence of stable severity with sustained vaccine protection

(Switzerland), 07/08/2025.- Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director General of the World Health Organization (WHO), briefs the media during a press conference organized by the Geneva Association of United Nations Correspondents (ACANU) at the WHO headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, 07 August 2025. (Suiza, Ginebra) EFE/EPA/SALVATORE DI NOLFI
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director general de la Organización Mundial de la Salud (OMS). (Salvatore Di Nolfi/Keystone via AP)
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Overview

  • WHO’s Technical Advisory Group on Virus Evolution continues to list XFG as a Variant Under Monitoring due to its rapid expansion but low additional risk
  • First identified on January 27, 2025, XFG arose from recombination of Omicron sublineages LF.7 and LP.8.1.2 and has been detected in at least 38 countries
  • Clinical data indicate XFG infections do not increase hospitalizations or severe disease and often include typical COVID-19 symptoms plus transient hoarseness
  • Declining booster coverage and waning population immunity are cited as key factors behind XFG’s rise to about 48% of global sequences by July 20
  • Mexico has yet to report any confirmed XFG cases as WHO-led genomic surveillance continues