There has been a surge in Covid XEC, the new coronavirus variant, in nearly 27 countries. Below are the main developments to keep in mind.
It has been almost a few months since a new Covid variant started to emerge and spread. This time a more contagious variant, the “XEC”, has emerged and is spreading like wildfire across Europe. This variant was first detected in Germany and has since spread to almost 27 countries. According to scientists, this Covid XEC variant forms another subfamily of the omicron variant. Here are some of the recent developments worth highlighting.
5 key developments regarding the new XEC variant of Covid
- XEC is a hybrid variant of the omicron subvariants KS.1.1 and KP.3.3.
- Covid-19 XEC cases have been detected in almost 500 samples from 27 countries. So far, a steady increase in cases has been observed in Denmark, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Germany and Denmark.
- Experts believe that this is a “more contagious” form of Covid that could become a dominant strain in Europe.
- Symptoms of Covid XEC are: rash, loss of appetite, sore throat, loss of sense of smell, body aches, fever, etc.
- Experts believe vaccines should still offer protection against severe disease and that booster shots remain a crucial defense.
“At this point, the XEC variant appears to be the one most likely to thrive,” said Eric Topol, director of the Scripps Research Translational Institute in California, US, in a recent publication in X.
Although there has been talk of a “transmission advantage,” experts are supporting the vaccines. Completion of vaccination and the booster dose are recommended. While most people will get better within a few weeks, for some it may take longer to recover and some may even require hospitalization.
Health authorities are asking citizens to maintain basic Covid protocol. Practice proper hand hygiene and maintain personal hygiene. Wear a mask in crowded places. It is important to be alert to symptoms and seek immediate treatment. Keep the environment clean.
Experts are still awaiting more data on the mutation, the spike protein and other aspects.
