Euronews The currently dominant COVID-19 variant in Germany has been referred to as the ‘Frankenstein’ variant. Here’s why.
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.