Scientists have raised concerns about a new, more contagious Covid-19 variant known as XEC, which is spreading rapidly across Europe and could soon become the dominant strain. First identified in Germany in June, XEC has since appeared in countries like the UK, US, Denmark, and several others. A sublineage of the Omicron variant, XEC is a hybrid of two earlier subvariants, KS.1.1 and KP.3.3, which are currently dominant in Europe.

With over 500 samples detected in 27 countries, including Poland, Norway, Portugal, Ukraine, and China, experts are observing strong growth of XEC, particularly in Denmark, Germany, the UK, and the Netherlands. According to Professor Francois Balloux, Director of the Genetics Institute at University College London, XEC has a "slight transmission advantage" over other recent Covid-19 variants. However, he reassured that vaccines should still provide significant protection against severe illness.

Eric Topol, Director of the Scripps Research Translational Institute in California, highlighted that XEC is "just getting started" and may take several weeks or months to become a major threat. He warned that XEC could cause a wave of infections, possibly becoming the dominant variant this winter.

The symptoms of XEC are similar to those of previous Covid-19 variants, including fever, sore throat, cough, loss of smell, loss of appetite, and body aches. Despite its increased transmissibility, experts believe that staying updated with vaccines and booster shots will help prevent severe cases and hospitalizations.

Additionally, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advises continued good hygiene practices and improving indoor air quality to reduce transmission risks. Researchers are also calling for closer monitoring of XEC to better understand its progression and symptoms as it spreads.

Scientists have raised concerns about a new, more contagious Covid-19 variant known as XEC, which is spreading rapidly across Europe and could soon become the dominant strain. First identified in Germany in June, XEC has since appeared in countries like the UK, US, Denmark, and several others. A sublineage of the Omicron variant, XEC is a hybrid of two earlier subvariants, KS.1.1 and KP.3.3, which are currently dominant in Europe.

With over 500 samples detected in 27 countries, including Poland, Norway, Portugal, Ukraine, and China, experts are observing strong growth of XEC, particularly in Denmark, Germany, the UK, and the Netherlands. According to Professor Francois Balloux, Director of the Genetics Institute at University College London, XEC has a "slight transmission advantage" over other recent Covid-19 variants. However, he reassured that vaccines should still provide significant protection against severe illness.

Eric Topol, Director of the Scripps Research Translational Institute in California, highlighted that XEC is "just getting started" and may take several weeks or months to become a major threat. He warned that XEC could cause a wave of infections, possibly becoming the dominant variant this winter.

The symptoms of XEC are similar to those of previous Covid-19 variants, including fever, sore throat, cough, loss of smell, loss of appetite, and body aches. Despite its increased transmissibility, experts believe that staying updated with vaccines and booster shots will help prevent severe cases and hospitalizations.

Additionally, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advises continued good hygiene practices and improving indoor air quality to reduce transmission risks. Researchers are also calling for closer monitoring of XEC to better understand its progression and symptoms as it spreads.