A fresh wave of coronavirus has been noted across Europe in recent days.
In Belgium, too, case numbers are increasing, which could be partly linked to the new "XFG" variant. "For several weeks now, the XFG variant has been dominant in our country," virologist Steven Van Gucht of Sciensano told HLN.
An increase in illnesses is not unusual at this time of year, but infections have been climbing rapidly in recent weeks.
"What we are seeing now is that doctors are receiving more and more patients infected with Covid," Van Gucht explained. "In mid-summer, there were 9.2 consultations per 100,000 inhabitants. At the beginning of this month, the figure had already risen to 13.5."
The virologist said there are clear reasons for the rise. "Autumn has arrived, so we are meeting indoors more often. On top of that, schools have reopened and many people are returning to work after the holidays, which increases the number of indoor contacts," he said.
Finally, he stressed that the 'XFG' variant is no more dangerous than previous ones, but could be contributing to the renewed spread. "It remains an unpredictable situation as we have not known this virus for very long," Van Gucht concluded.
This specific strain is known for its unique symptom of causing people to have a hoarse voice, which is not typical of other COVID-19 strains.
Dr Kaywaan Khan, Harley Street GP and founder of Hannah London Clinic, told Cosmopolitan UK: "One of the most noticeable symptoms of the Stratus variant is hoarseness, which includes a scratchy or raspy voice."
