COVID Cases Rising: New Nimbus & Stratus Variants | Transmission
Current COVID-19 Variants in the UK: what You Need to Know (September 30, 2025)
If you are experiencing symptoms like a sore throat adn fever, you may have contracted one of the newer COVID-19 strains currently circulating in the United Kingdom.
dominant Strains: XFG (Stratus) and NB.1.8.1 (Nimbus)
As of September 25, 2025, official data indicates that XFG, sometimes referred to as Stratus, and NB.1.8.1,known as Nimbus,are the most prevalent variants being transmitted in the UK according to the UK Health Security Agency.
severity and Impact
Experts currently assess that these new variants do not present a greater health risk then previous strains of COVID-19, nor do they appear to cause more severe illness as reported by the BBC. This assessment is as of September 30, 2025, and ongoing monitoring will continue to evaluate the characteristics of these and future variants.