What to know about the 'Frankenstein' variant of COVID-19
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.
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.
New 2025 data shows COVID-19 vaccines provide effective, durable protection
Updated COVID-19 vaccines are still providing effective protection against infection, emergency department visits, hospitalization and death, according to new research led by Dr. Danyu Lin.
UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health
October 27, 2025
Updated COVID-19 vaccines are still providing effective protection against infection, emergency department visits, hospitalization and death, according to new research published today in JAMA Internal Medicine.
Data in this new study shows that the 2024-2025 COVID-19 vaccines provide similar protection to the previous formulation. They were found to be most protective four weeks after vaccination, providing 44.7% effectiveness against infection, 45.1% effectiveness against emergency department visits, and 57.5% effectiveness against hospitalization or death.
Protection against each outcome waned over time, declining at 10 weeks after vaccination to 35.5% effectiveness against infection, 42.9% effectiveness against emergency department visits, and 49.7% effectiveness against hospitalization or death. At 20 weeks, protection dropped to 16.7% effectiveness against infection, 39.1% effectiveness against emergency department visits, and 34.0% effectiveness against hospitalization or death.
Comparisons between different Omicron subvariants showed similar effectiveness.
Danyu Lin, PhD, Dennis Gillings Distinguished Professor in the Department of Biostatistics at the Gillings School, is lead author on the study. Additional co-authors include Yi Du, PhD, and Sai Paritala, PharmD, from the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services; Yangjianchen Xu from the University of Waterloo; and Patrick Maloney, PhD, from the University of Nebraska Medical Center.
”COVID-19 is still causing a lot of serious illness”, said Lin. “Our study showed that the 2024-2025 COVID-19 vaccines were effective, especially against severe outcomes, although their effectiveness waned over time. Thus, it is beneficial to have an annual COVID-19 vaccination, particularly for individuals at high risk of severe outcomes. Our study also showed that vaccine effectiveness was similar against different Omicron subvariants. Thus, the 2025-2026 vaccines, which target similar omicron subvariants as the 2024-2025 vaccines did, will likely have similar effectiveness.”
COVID-19 vaccines are available to most Americans 65 years and older, as well as those between ages 18-64 with health conditions that put them at higher risk of severe illness from COVID-19. Some of these conditions include asthma, diabetes, obesity, pregnancy, heart conditions, cancer and smoking (current or former). For the full list, please visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s website.
In North Carolina, vaccines are available without a prescription for those who qualify at pharmacies across the state, according to the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services.
Read the full research and commentary by former FDA Commissioner Robert Califf in JAMA.
Contact the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health communications team at sphcomm@unc.edu.
Journal
JAMA Internal Medicine
Article Title
Durability of 2024-2025 COVID-19 Vaccines Against JN.1 Subvariants
Article Publication Date
27-Oct-2025
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