KUALA LUMPUR — Malaysia’s Health Ministry has confirmed the detection of a new Covid-19 variant, XFG, among recent cases, even as national case numbers continue to decline. Health Minister Datuk Seri Dzulkifly Ahmad said the XFG variant accounted for 8.2% of the 43,087 cases reported in Epidemiological Week 35 of 2025. Genomic surveillance shows NB 1.8.1 remains the dominant strain (39.4%), followed by JN.1 (18.1%) and XEC (13.3%). Despite the emergence of new variants, total infections have fallen nearly 50% compared to the same period in 2024, marking continued progress in managing the pandemic.
