From subway cars to office cubicles, New Yorkers are hoarse and hacking this fall — sidelined by stubborn symptoms that just won’t quit.

While official data indicates that overall respiratory illness activity remains low across the city, experts say the effects of a late-summer surge caused by one particular virus are still being felt.

“[It] may explain the ongoing upper respiratory symptoms,” Dr. Andrew Handel , a pediatric infectious diseases specialist at Stony Brook Children’s Hospital, told The Post. 4

Enter Stratus: a fast-spreading COVID-19 strain known for causing a persistent, dry cough.

Officially dubbed XFG, Stratus surged past its predecessor “Nimbus” (NB.1.8.1) in September to become the dominant variant in the US , fueling a wave of infections nationwide .

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