From Newsweek:
COVID-19 cases are spiking across the U.S. as a new strain called Stratus, an XFG variant, was detected this year. Stratus was first identified in Southeast Asia in January, according to the World Health Organization, and has spread across 38 countries, per the data as of June.
While the coronavirus first made waves in late 2019 and throughout 2020, new variants have continued to emerge, bringing more sickness and death in the years since. Public health officials still urge the same methods to reduce spread of the virus, including self-isolation, washing hands and regular testing if you think you may have been exposed.