Yes, there are newer COVID strains circulating, but they’re all part of the Omicron “family” rather than a totally brand‑new kind of virus.

Quick Scoop: What’s Going Around Now

  • The dominant strains right now are Omicron subvariants, with the XFG “Stratus” lineage responsible for a large share of current cases in many places.
  • Another closely watched variant is NB.1.8.1, nicknamed “Nimbus,” which has spread across several countries and caused noticeable waves of infections.
  • Health agencies like WHO and CDC are tracking these variants, but so far they behave broadly like recent Omicron waves rather than something completely different.

How These Newer Variants Behave

Most newer variants cause illness that looks a lot like recent Omicron COVID, not like early‑pandemic COVID.

Common symptoms being reported:

  • Sore throat (often quite sharp or “stabbing,” especially noted with Nimbus/Stratus‑type variants).
  • Cough (dry or with mucus), congestion, runny nose.
  • Fatigue, low‑grade fever or chills, body aches, headache.
  • Sneezing and general “cold or flu‑like” feeling.
  • Loss of taste or smell is less common now than with earlier strains, but it can still happen.

Doctors note that current variants don’t clearly cause more severe disease for most people than earlier Omicron, though they may spread more easily and dodge some existing antibodies.

Why You’re Hearing About “New Strains” Again

  • Variants like Nimbus (NB.1.8.1) and Stratus (XFG) have mutations that help them bind to our cells efficiently and spread rapidly, which is why they’re competing for dominance.
  • These changes also help them partially evade immunity from past infection or vaccination, so people can get reinfected, even if they’ve had COVID before.
  • Despite that, expert reviews so far have not shown a big jump in typical severity at the population level.

Practical Takeaways for You

If you’re wondering “is there something new going around?” because people near you are sick with sore throats and coughs, the answer is: likely yes, but it’s a new subvariant of Omicron, not a brand‑new virus.

Consider:

  1. Testing if you have cold/flu‑like symptoms, especially a notable sore throat, cough, or fever.
  1. Staying home when sick to avoid spreading it, since these variants are highly transmissible.
  1. Keeping vaccines/boosters up to date , since updated doses still help reduce the risk of severe disease even when variants partially escape immunity.
  1. Using masks and ventilation in crowded indoor spaces if cases are high around you or if you live with someone at higher risk.

Mini Forum‑Style Wrap‑Up

“Is there a new strain of COVID going around?” Short forum‑style answer: Yes, newer Omicron subvariants like Nimbus and Stratus are circulating and driving current cases, but they look more like highly contagious “new waves” than a totally different, more dangerous virus.

TL;DR: There are newer COVID variants spreading, mostly Omicron subvariants such as Nimbus (NB.1.8.1) and Stratus (XFG); they spread easily and cause strong sore throat/cold‑like symptoms, but haven’t been shown to be dramatically more severe for most people so far.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.