What to know about the 'Frankenstein' variant of COVID-19

As is the case every year, new variants of the virus that causes COVID-19 are circulating in Europe.

In Germany, the variant XFG is now dominant. It is often referred to in the media as the "Frankenstein variant" and is reported to cause a so-called "razor blade throat" as well as typical COVID-19 symptoms.

This variant bears the scientific name XFG, and is also called the "Stratus" variant. In Germany and other European countries, XFG has been increasingly dominant since mid-2025.

The World Health Organization (WHO) and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) consider XFG a "variant under monitoring" (VUM), meaning health officials are watching it closely but do not yet consider it a cause for concern.

Notably, COVID-19 infections have been at elevated levels across Europe, though cases are now falling in most countries, according to the latest ECDC data.

So what are the special features of the "Frankenstein" variant?

XFG is a recombination – a mixture of the two earlier virus sub-lines LF.7 and LP.8.1.2. Similar to Frankenstein's monster, which was assembled from different body parts, XFG combines parts of different virus lines.

It is normal for viruses to mutate and change over time.

The term "Frankenstein" was first used to describe coronavirus subvariants after the Omicron variant took off in late 2021 in South Africa.

The WHO and the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) currently classify the risk from XFG as low.

Incidentally, there is no clear evidence as to whether the "razor blade sensation" in the throat actually occurs more frequently with XFG.

Symptoms such as severe sore throat and hoarseness are not specific to COVID-19 variants. They can also occur with other respiratory infections.

It is almost impossible to reliably distinguish between COVID-19 and, for example, the flu based on symptoms alone.