Scientists have warned that a “more infectious” variant of Covid-19, called XEC, is spreading rapidly across Europe and could soon become the dominant strain. BBCThe new variant was first identified in Germany in June and since then, the XEC variant has appeared in the UK, the US, Denmark and several other countries. Experts have said the new variant, which is a sub-lineage of the Omicron variant, has some new mutations that could help it spread this autumn, although vaccines should still help prevent severe cases.
The XEC variant is a hybrid of the earlier Omicron subvariant KS.1.1 and KP.3.3, which is currently dominant in Europe. So far, XEC has been found in 500 samples from 27 countries, including Poland, Norway, Luxembourg, Ukraine, Portugal and China. The Independent According to the report, experts point to the strong growth of this variant in Denmark, Germany, the UK and the Netherlands.
Professor Francois Balloux, Director of the Genetics Institute at University College London, said: BBC Although XEC has a “slight infection advantage” compared to other recently emerged Covid variants, the vaccine should still provide good protection. But he also said XEC could become the dominant subvariant in the winter.
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Eric Topol, director of the Scripps Research Translational Institute in California, said XEC is “just getting started.” He added, “And it will take several weeks, several months, before it really takes hold and makes waves.”
“XEC is definitely taking control. It seems to be the next variant. But it will take many months before it reaches a high level,” Mr Topol said.
Symptoms of XEC Covid
The symptoms of the XEC variant are similar to those of previous Covid variants, including fever, sore throat, cough, loss of smell, loss of appetite, and body aches.
But since it is still a sub-family of the same Omicron lineage, experts say staying updated with vaccines and booster shots will provide adequate protection against severe disease and hospitalisation.
Apart from this, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has also advised people to maintain good hygiene and take steps for clean air.
In addition, researchers have called for XEC to be monitored more closely to better understand its symptoms.
