Those of us in the Northern Hemisphere are in the middle of cold and flu season, and with it new variants of the coronavirus are making headlines. According to the CDC Data Tracker, the number of reports related to the XEC variant is increasing.
Although variant KP 3.1.1 continues to account for the majority of cases in the United States and around the world, cases associated with XEC have been steadily increasing. Approximately 11 per cent of cases reported in the two weeks ending October 12, 2024 were caused by XEC, up from 5 per cent in the previous two weeks. (Overall trends seem to suggest that cases, hospitalizations, and deaths are all, thankfully, on the decline.)
The XEC variant is still relatively new, as it was first reported in Germany in the summer. As of this writing, the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) says there is not enough evidence to confirm whether it is more or less transmissible or more severe than other variants.
However, medical experts writing for The Conversation pointed to the rapid rise in cases, saying it is spreading faster than other variants and could potentially overtake KP 3.1.1 to become the dominant variant. It suggests that it is possible.
Francois Ballou, director of the Institute of Genetics at University College London, told BBC-XEC that this has a “slight transmission advantage” compared to some of the other variants currently in circulation. It matches what you said.
So what do we know about XEC? According to the World Health Organization (WHO), XEC is derived from a subspecies of Omnicron and is thought to be the result of recombination between KS.1.1 and KP 3.3. You can This recombination can occur when a person is infected with multiple strains.
The symptoms to be aware of seem to be similar to those of previous novel coronavirus infections. According to the CDC, these include fever or chills, cough, shortness of breath, sore throat, stuffy or runny nose, changes in taste or smell, fatigue, muscle aches, headache, nausea or vomiting, and diarrhea.
It is worth emphasizing the fact that it is not uncommon for new variants of COVID-19 to emerge. As the CDC notes, viruses are constantly mutating. This means that new strains appear while others disappear.
And as we head into winter, there’s a scientifically proven way to protect yourself from the worst effects of COVID-19 (and potentially “tripleemia”): vaccination. The CDC recommends the COVID-19 vaccine for everyone 6 months of age and older. You can increase your defense power by administering additional vaccinations every year. In fact, the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) has linked the decline in the number of people recently vaccinated to an increase in COVID-19 cases this summer.
