All About New Covid Variant XEC
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18 September 2024
A "more contagious" variant of Covid-19, dubbed XEC, is spreading more rapidly across Europe and could soon become the dominant strain, scientists have warned
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The XEC variant is a hybrid of the earlier omicron subvariants KS.1.1 and KP.3.3, which is currently dominant in Europe
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The new variant, first identified in Germany in June, has emerged in the UK, US, Denmark and several other countries
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Experts have said that the XEC variant has some new mutations that might help it spread this autumn, although vaccines should still help prevent severe cases
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“XEC is definitely taking charge. That does appear to be the next variant. But it's months off from getting into high levels," said Director of the Scripps Research Translational Institute
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So far, 500 samples from 27 countries, including Poland, Norway, Luxembourg, Ukraine, Portugal and China, have been found to contain XEC, per The Independent
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Experts particularly point to the strong growth of the variant in Denmark, Germany, the UK, and the Netherlands
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The symptoms of the XEC variant are similar to those of previous Covid variants, including fever, sore throat, cough, loss of sense of smell, loss of appetite, and body aches
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However, since it is still only a sub-family of the same omicron lineage, experts say keeping up to date with vaccines and booster shots would offer protection against severe illness
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Separately, the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has also advised people to practise good hygiene and take steps for cleaner air
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Researchers have also called for monitoring the XEC more closely to better understand its symptoms
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