Covid-19 XEC. Photo: depositphotos.
Globally, concerns are rising again over a new variant of Covid-19 known as XEC. First detected in Germany in June, this variant has now been registered in at least 15 countries, including the UK, the USA, Denmark, and others. According to Independent, experts believe XEC could soon become the dominant strain of the disease.
Data from Scripps Research Outbreak.info indicates that XEC has been identified in 12 U.S. states, with a significant rise noted in Denmark and Germany. Data analyst Mike Hani confirms that the variant is present in hundreds of patients across 27 countries, including North America and Asia.
Prevalence of the XEC Variant
Among the 15 countries where cases of XEC have been reported are:
- Slovenia
- Belgium
- Germany
- Netherlands
- Denmark
- Taiwan
- France
- Israel
- Italy
- Sweden
- Ireland
- United Kingdom
- Canada
- Spain
- United States
Currently, the prevalence of XEC remains lower in the USA and Canada but is changing in Europe. As of August 19, XEC constituted 5.96% of European cases. Slovenia has reported that over 10% of its samples contained this variant.
Symptoms and Recommendations
XEC is a combination of the variants KS.1.1 and KP.3.3, exhibiting symptoms similar to other Covid strains, including fatigue, headaches, sore throat, and high fever. Researchers emphasize the need for careful monitoring of this variant to better understand its symptoms.
Professor François Balloux from University College London states that while XEC is more transmissible, vaccines should still provide adequate protection, as it belongs to the Omicron family. He also predicts that XEC may become the dominant subvariant this winter.
Latest data from the UK shows a weekly increase in Covid cases of 4.3%, with 1,465 hospitalizations reported by August 30. The NHS offers free revaccination for those at higher risk of severe illness.
According to Eric Topol, director of the Translational Institute Scripps Research, “at this stage, the XEC variant appears to be the most likely candidate to become the next dominant strain.”
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) stresses that mutations and changes in viruses are a normal process.
