The new variant of Covid XEC, first detected in Germany, is spreading rapidly in Europe and could become dominant, according to experts, who believe that XEC is “just at the beginning” both globally and in the US.
The new Covid variant that could become dominant – photo Archive
The new strain of Covid, the XEC variant, which originally appeared in Germany, is now present in 11 European countries and could become dominant, experts warn. Although spreading rapidly, XEC does not yet meet the criteria to be considered a variant of concern or interest, reports Euronews.
The XEC variant, a hybrid of the omicron subvariants KS.1.1 and KP.3.3, may become more widespread this fall due to its mutations. However, although it is spreading, XEC does not yet meet the criteria to be considered a variant of concern or interest to public health authorities, according to a spokesperson for the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC).
“A very limited number of XEC detections have been reported to date”, said the ECDC spokesperson.
So far, the XEC Covid variant accounts for at least 1% of all samples sequenced in Slovenia, Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands, according to data from the US non-profit Scripps Research Institute, updated earlier this month.
XEC has also been detected in the United Kingdom, Denmark, France, Ireland, Sweden, Italy and Spain, according to Scripps data.
Sequencing data comes with some caveats. Viral samples undergoing genomic sequencing do not always reflect actual cases in the community, and laboratories do not sequence at the same rate.
“Strains appearing in sequencing data may not represent the true prevalence of mutations in the population,” says Scripps Research.
Even with these limitations, the sequencing data provides early clues about the evolution of the virus, allowing researchers and health agencies to decide whether measures such as modified vaccines are needed. Experts believe that existing COVID-19 vaccines will be effective against the XEC variant.
Dr. Eric Topol, director of the Scripps Research Translational Institute in California, told the Los Angeles Times that XEC “it’s just getting started in the world and in the US“.
“We anticipate that XEC will have similar properties to currently circulating variants, with no change in severity of infection or vaccine efficacy against severe disease”, said the ECDC spokesperson.
ECDC recommends vaccination before the winter season, given that protection wanes over time.
“Vaccination is the most effective measure of protection against more severe forms of COVID-19 and seasonal flu”, states the ECDC.
So far, the virus has been found in 15 countries on three continents after first appearing in Berlin in June. Melbourne data expert Mike Honey analyzed the rapid spread of the strain and said it was “probably the next challenger to the currently dominant variants“, writes the Mirror.
What are the symptoms of the Covid XEC variant
According to the British health system NHS, the latest symptoms of COVID-19 are:
- fever or chills
- continuous cough – meaning coughing fits that last more than an hour or three or more coughing episodes in 24 hours
- loss or change in the sense of smell or taste
- breathing difficulties
- feeling tired or exhausted
- headache
- sore throat
- stuffy or runny nose
- loss of appetite
- diarrhea
- feeling or feeling sick
The symptoms of the XEC variant are similar to those of the common cold and flu.
