Germany: A new Covid-19 variant, dubbed XEC, has been detected in 27 countries, raising concerns among health experts and governments worldwide. The XEC variant, a hybrid of the earlier Omicron subvariants KS.1.1 and KP.3.3, was first identified in Germany in June 2024.
Since its initial detection, the XEC variant has spread rapidly across Europe, North America, and Asia. Countries including the UK, US, Denmark, Poland, Norway, Luxembourg, Ukraine, Portugal, and China have reported cases of this new variant. As of now, over 500 samples containing the XEC variant have been identified.
Health experts have noted that the XEC variant appears to be more contagious than previous strains, with a slight transmission advantage1. Professor Francois Balloux, Director of the Genetics Institute at University College London, mentioned that while the variant has a transmission edge, vaccines should still offer good protection against severe illness.
The symptoms of the XEC variant are similar to those of previous Covid-19 variants, including fever, sore throat, cough, loss of sense of smell, loss of appetite, and body aches. Despite its increased transmissibility, experts emphasize the importance of vaccination and booster shots to mitigate severe cases and hospitalizations.
Eric Topol, Director of the Scripps Research Translational Institute in California, stated that the XEC variant is “just getting started” and may take several weeks to months before it causes a significant wave1. He also noted that the variant is likely to become the dominant strain over the winter.
As the world continues to monitor the spread of the XEC variant, health authorities are urging people to maintain good hygiene practices and stay updated with vaccinations to protect against severe illness.
