New COVID variant found. What to know about symptoms, testing in GA

As fall begins, so does the flu, allergy and COVID season. However, another new variant of COVID has recently been found in 38 countries and is quickly spreading in the U.S, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

So, is it in Georgia and are the symptoms different? Here’s what to know:

Is the new variant in GA?

The new COVID variant is called XFG and is known as “Straus.” According to the CDC, the XFG variant made up around 78% of total cases in the U.S. However, two months ago, the XFG variant only made up 14% of cases. So, chances are, the new variant has made its way to Georgia.

What are the symptoms?

Symptoms of the XFG strain are similar to the normal COVID symptoms, such as:

• Sore throat
• Cough
• Congestion or runny nose
• Fever or chills
• Shortness of breath
• New loss of sense of taste or smell
• Fatigue
• Headache
• Muscle aches
• Nausea, vomiting or diarrhea

Does the vaccine cover the new variant?

“The vaccine is expected to work well against variants that are predominant now. It is also expected to work well against the variants that are increasing and likely to be predominant in the future,” said CDC experts.

The vaccine is recommended for anyone 65 years or older and anyone that is immunocompromised.

In Georgia, the updated vaccines aren’t available yet. According to the Georgia Department of Public Health, the FDA just approved the vaccine, but haven’t been shipped out to offices or retailers.

Do tests detect the new variant?

In short, yes; at-home tests will still detect newer variants of COVID.

“The antigen that the at-home tests look for has remained fairly stable even as the virus mutates and new strains of COVID develop,” said Dr. Michelle Chan, an infectious disease physician at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and an instructor in medicine at Harvard Medical School.

Experts at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration urges anyone with symptoms to go ahead and test and if your first result is negative, test again to be sure.

Do you have more questions? Let me know in the comments or email me at cmadden@mcclatchy.com

Chelsea Madden

The Telegraph

Chelsea is a service journalism reporter who began working for McClatchy in 2022. She was born and raised in Middle Georgia and lives in Forsyth. She attended Wesleyan College for undergrad and a few years after that, went to SCAD for an MFA in writing. Outside of work, Chelsea likes to watch Netflix, read books in the thriller genre and chase her toddler around.