By Ben Hurst

Copyright manchestereveningnews

The Royal College of GPs this week highlighted that cases of Covid have doubled in the last 4 weeks as health chiefs reissued advice suggesting anyone with symptoms should stay at home. The UK is in the grip of new variatns XFG and NB.1.8.1 – known as Stratus and Nimbus. The UK Health Safety Agency (UKHSA) said 35% were classified as Stratus and 28% Nimbus among those tested . According to some reports, external, there may be tell-tale symptoms with the latest ones – a hoarse voice or a “razor blade” sore throat. Covid can still cause a wide range of symptoms, including headache, coughing, a blocked or running nose and exhaustion, making it difficult to distinguish from a cold or flu. According t o UKHSA data, the overall hospital admission rate for Covid increased from 2 per 100,000 to 2.73 per 100,000 this week. And the UKHSA has issued guidance of what people should do if they have symptoms. The UKHSA said : “Current data does not indicate that these variants lead to more severe illness than other variants in circulation. “It’s normal for viruses to mutate and change, and as more data becomes available on these variants we’ll have a better understanding of how they interact with our immune systems and how to optimise our protection, as well as actions we can take to keep the most vulnerable safe and live our lives as normally as possible. The most important thing is for those eligible to get their vaccination when it is due. “ If you have symptoms of COVID-19 or have tested positive, there are things you can do to help you avoid passing it on to other people, including those you live with: COVID-19 symptoms can include: For more information visit the NHS Covid site here .