A new COVID variant is on the rise amid a nationwide summer surge of cases and it's on track to become the third most common strain. What to know in Tennessee.

COVID-19 activity is rising in much of the country. Data shows overall respiratory virus spread is very low in the U.S.

The “Stratus” variant (XFG) was first identified in January in Southeast Asia. By June, it accounted for 14% of COVID cases in the U.S. While the symptoms of XFG are generally consistent with other COVID variants, some patients have reported hoarseness as a potential distinguishing symptom.