US has new COVID variant: What to know about 'Stratus' strain in MS

A new COVID-19 variant is spreading fast in the United States, becoming the third-most common strain of the summer.

Health data indicates a potential disconnect in Mississippi between the number of people being treated for COVID and those carrying the contagious virus.

Variant XFG, colloquially known as "Stratus," was first detected in Southeast Asia in January but accounted for about 0% of cases in the United States until May. By late June, it was estimated to account for up to 14%, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The World Health Organization added XFG to its watchlist but evaluated the additional public health risk posed by the variant as "low" at the global level in a late June report , in which it also advised that currently approved COVID-19 vac