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Amid the seasonal surge in respiratory viruses, two new SARS-CoV-2 variants, called Nimbus and Stratus, are attracting the attention of experts due to their increased transmissibility and symptom patterns that can mimic common infections.

 

While Covid has, at this stage, become part of the normal fabric of life, experts like Professor Raúl Ortiz de Lejarazu warn that “this virus is still with us” and urge caution, especially among vulnerable groups.

 

According to the epidemiologist, Covid cases have been climbing steadily throughout Spain for around two months now. Infections currently stand at around 20-25 per 100,000 inhabitants, which is actually far fewer than this time last year and well below the epidemic threshold, which sits at between 50 and 70 cases.

 

Professor Ortiz warns that the main risk falls on the most vulnerable groups: "Covid is what older people should be concerned about, that is, people 70 and older in particular... where it has been seen over time... that Covid causes many more severe cases than in other people."

 

But he was also at pains to stress that these variants do not pose a greater danger: "This variant, dubbed Stratus, is not at all dangerous, nor more dangerous than the previous ones."

 

For him, we are not dealing with radical mutations, but rather with recombinations: "Stratus is a recombinant of other sublineages. All these viruses that we have now are children, they are grandchildren of the Omicron lineage. Rather than mutating, what they do is recombine."

 

From a symptomatic perspective, these variants do not present dramatically different clinical features compared to other strains. The most common symptoms include cough, fever and sore throat, alongside possible gastrointestinal complaints such as diarrhoea or nausea.

 

So while there’s absolutely no need to be unduly concerned, the danger lies in the fact that the arrival of autumn and the usual increase in other respiratory illnesses can mask the spread of these variants.

 

Therefore, experts recommend not underestimating moderate symptoms in vulnerable populations and remaining vigilant about vaccination booster campaigns.

 

 

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