XEC Covid Variant News: A new variant of Covid-19, known as XEC, has sparked concerns across Europe, with cases emerging in multiple regions. Scientists warn that this strain has the potential to become the dominant variant.
The first reported case of XEC was identified in Germany in June. Since then, it has reportedly been detected in at least 13 countries, including Denmark and the UK. It is important to note that XEC has evolved from earlier Omicron subvariants of the coronavirus.
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In a post on X on Sunday (September 15), Covid data analyst Mike Honey posted, "Recombinant variant XEC is continuing to spread, and looks a likely next challenger against the now-dominant DeFLuQE variants (KP.3.1.1.*). Here are the leading countries reporting XEC. Strong growth in Denmark and Germany (16-17%), also the UK and Netherlands (11-13%)."
XEC COVID VARIANT SYMPTOMS
The symptoms of XEC are believed to be similar to the cold or flu-like ones that were characteristic of the earlier variants. For eg:
- high temperature
- body aches
- tiredness
- cough or sore throat
- loss of appetite
XEC COVID VARIANT VACCINE
Professor Francois Balloux, Director of the Genetics Institute at University College London, told BBC News that the XEC variant has a "slight transmission advantage" compared to other recent Covid variants. He noted the possibility that XEC could become the dominant strain during the winter. However, Balloux emphasized that current vaccines are still expected to provide good protection against this new variant.