India, Aug. 14 -- COVID-19 cases are once again rising across the United States, and health experts believe a new variant, called XFG or 'stratus,' may be to blame. The increase is happening earlier than expected, just before schools reopen, raising fears of more spread in classrooms, Axios reported.

The variant was first detected in January in Southeast Asia. The World Health Organization had classified it as a "variant under monitoring" by June, due to its global spread. XFG was given its cloud-themed nickname "Stratus" by evolutionary biologist T. Ryan Gregory.

Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows that 12 states have much higher COVID-19 test positivity rates than the rest of the country. Arizona is am...