Stratus is heading to Poland. The disturbing effects are already visible in Europe.

• A new COVID-19 subvariant, called stratus, is causing an increase in infections in the US and Europe.
• Prof. Agnieszka Szuster-Ciesielska warns against a possible increase in infections in Poland
• There are no vaccines available against the current variants of the virus in Poland.

Agnieszka Szuster-Ciesielska , a virologist from the Department of Virology and Immunology at Maria Curie-Skłodowska University (UMCS), emphasized that the COVID-19 pandemic is not formally over yet.

Seasonality and subvariants of the virus causing COVID-19

"We expected the WHO to declare the end of the pandemic at the end of 2024, but that didn't happen. Technically, we're still in a pandemic. However, it's clear that it's slowed down," the virologist noted.

She said the virus begins to appear seasonally in two waves: summer and autumn/winter.

Agnieszka Szuster-Ciesielska emphasized that the omicron (a variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19) occurs in several thousand different subvariants that appear naturally as a result of modification of genetic material.

The threat of a new stratus subvariant

"In the United States and Western Europe, there is a visible increase in cases caused by the latest subvariant, dubbed Stratus by the media. Therefore, we expect the number of infections to increase in Poland as well," she added.

She explained that the stratus subvariant observed by the WHO causes disease symptoms that occur and generally characterize the omicron variant.

"It affects the upper respiratory tract, causing coughs and runny noses—cold symptoms that can become more serious in older people. Therefore, it's worth getting tested to see if you're infected," she noted.

The problem with the availability of COVID-19 vaccines

Agnieszka Szuster-Ciesielska emphasized her concern about the lack of information on current vaccinations, including whether and when the Novavax mRNA and protein COVID-19 vaccines will be available in Poland. She said the good news is that existing vaccines will respond to the new subvariant, as we are still dealing with the main SARS-CoV-2 variant, the omicron.

She said that vaccination against COVID-19 is most recommended for older people, whose immune systems are weakening and may be more susceptible to infection with the virus, and for people suffering from oncological diseases or immune disorders.

She noted that research is ongoing to increase the effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines and reduce side effects. She said that the US Food and Drug Administration has approved Moderna's next-generation mRNA vaccine, mNexspike, which has a smaller amount of genetic material and a lower incidence of side effects. She emphasized that it will not replace traditional COVID-19 vaccines but will be offered to older adults.

No response from the Ministry of Health

PAP asked the Ministry of Health when vaccines against the current variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus would be available and how many vaccines Poland had purchased or ordered. The Ministry did not receive a response by the time of publication of this report.

The website Patient.gov.pl states that there are no COVID-19 vaccines available and that vaccinations will not be available from July 29th until new vaccines are available. It is noted that, according to the recommendations of experts from the European Medicines Agency (EMA), vaccines against the LP.8.1 variant of the virus should be used in the 2025/2026 epidemic season. It is emphasized that such vaccines are currently being registered and are not yet available. New vaccination referrals are not being issued at this time, and those issued before July 5th will be valid until the new vaccine becomes available.

The World Health Organization (WHO) declared the COVID-19 pandemic caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus on March 11, 2020.

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