A croaky voice and a sharp, ‘razor blade’ sore throat are emerging as tell-tale signs of the latest Covid variants now sweeping Britain and the US.

The strains—XFB, dubbed Stratus, and NB.1.8.1, known as Nimbus—are fuelling a surge in infections, with cases doubling since August.

Concurrent with this, health officials have initiated a winter vaccination campaign, encouraging millions to receive Covid and flu vaccines as hospital admissions gradually increase.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) reported an increase in positivity rates from 7.6% to 8.4% in only one week, while hospital admissions climbed from 2.0 to 2.73 per 100,000 individuals.

In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that the national Covid wastewater levels, which help track virus spread in communities, are ‘moderate.’ However, four states are currently experiencing ‘very high’ levels, with numbers rising in the northeastern area.

Dr. Aaron Glatt, an infectious disease specialist based in the US, mentioned to Today.com that patients are experiencing ‘severe pain—like their throat is being slashed with razor blades’.

He noted: ‘Although this description isn’t exclusively related to Covid-19, it has been used by some patients to depict sore throat symptoms associated with the latest Covid-19 variant.’

But the new strains can also cause more familiar Covid complaints such as headaches, coughing, fatigue and a runny or blocked nose.

Experts stress they are no more dangerous than earlier versions, but genetic mutations mean they spread more easily.

Some have reported a sharp, razor-like sore throat is a distinct sign you’re infected with one of the new Covid variants, amid a rise in cases

Covid tests are no longer free on the NHS, but can still be bought at pharmacies.

The UKHSA recommends individuals with symptoms remain at home when possible and avoid interaction with vulnerable people. If going out is necessary, wearing a face mask is advised.

It advised: ‘If you have symptoms of a respiratory infection, such as Covid-19, and you have a high temperature or do not feel well enough to go to work or carry out normal activities, you should avoid contact with vulnerable people and stay at home if possible.

‘For those of us who absolutely can’t stay at home, the Living with COVID guidance remains unchanged, and will reduce the chance of passing on your infection to others.’

Over-75s, people with weakened immune systems and care home residents are eligible for the winter Covid booster, available on the NHS app, online, or at walk-in centres.

Pregnant women and children are also invited for vaccination, and toddlers can this year get a flu spray at community pharmacies. 

Some high street chemists are offering private Covid jabs, costing up to £99.

The rise in cases comes just days after a controversial South Korean study claimed Covid vaccines ‘might raise the risk of cancer’. 

 Published in Biomarker Research, it failed to explain how the jabs could trigger the disease.

Experts dismissed the findings as ‘superficially alarming’, warning the conclusions were hugely overblown. Scientists have repeatedly said there is no credible evidence that Covid vaccines interfere with tumour suppressors or fuel cancer growth.

It follows Reform UK distancing itself from cardiologist Dr Aseem Malhotra—an adviser to US presidential hopeful Robert F Kennedy Jr—after he suggested at the party’s conference that Covid jabs were linked to the cancers of the King and Princess of Wales.

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