A new Covid strain, known as XEC, has been identified at least 29 countries so far, including the UK, US, Germany and Denmark as people are urged to have their booster if eligible
A new Covid variant has spread quickly across the world and there are fears it will soon become the dominant strain of coronavirus.
Known as XEC, it was first detected in June, in Germany, and has already spread to the US, Denmark among others. Its symptoms include headaches , sore throat and a high temperature.
Its discovery has been followed by a rise in hospitalisation numbers, with the UK Health Safety Association revealing they have risen to 4.55 per 100,000, up from the rate of 3.72 per 100,000 the previous week. The North East of England is experiencing the highest hospital admission rates at 8.12 per 100,000.
Below we take a look at everything we know about XEC.
Where has XEC been reported?
XEC was first detected by a team of researchers in Berlin, Germany. It was found in Covid samples collected in June and has since been found in 29 countries, including the UK, France, Denmark and in the US. At least 19 states have also found it to date.
How is it spread?
As with other Covid variants, XEC is airborne and transmitted when someone positive with it breathes out, talks coughs or sneezes. It can also survive on surfaces.
People are urged to wash their hands or even wear masks to protect against it. However, there are fears because of proteins within, XEC may be spread easier than other variants. As it is still fairly new its exact nature is still unknown.
What are its symptoms?
XEC does not seem to have its own unique symptoms than other Covid variants. As a result, people who have it can expect the usual mix of sore throat, fever, fatigue and muscle aches which can last as long as 14 days with different levels of severity.
It may be more high risk to some people in communities, such as the elderly.
What can be done?
All adults aged 65 and over are able to receive both the latest Covid-19 booster vaccination and this year’s flu jab, along with residents in older adult care homes and people with underlying health conditions aged six months to 64 years. Both vaccinations are also being offered to frontline health and social care staff, with employees in older adult care homes eligible for the Covid-19 jab.
Dr Jamie Lopez Bernal, leading Consultant Epidemiologist at UKHSA, said: “Covid-19 is continuing to circulate, with a slight increase in hospitalisations over the past two weeks. Our surveillance shows where Covid cases are sequenced, around 1 in 10 are the ‘XEC’ lineage.
“As winter approaches, we expect flu and RSV to increasingly circulate too. If you’re eligible to get vaccinated against the three main winter threats – Covid-19, flu and RSV – now is the time to take them up and get winter strong.
“We understand people may be concerned about new variants”Current information doesn’t suggest we should be more concerned about this variant but we are monitoring this closely. The most important thing to do is to get your vaccination as soon as possible if you’re eligible.”
