Mapped: All the cases of new Covid variant XEC reported in Europe so far
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A new variant of Covid has emerged worldwide, raising concerns that it may quickly become the leading strain of the virus.
Instances of the XEC variant, which was first identified in Germany in June, have since surfaced in the UK, US, Denmark, and various other nations. Experts indicate that this strain is now becoming more dominant and is expected to keep spreading worldwide.
The strain has been identified in a minimum of 15 countries and 12 states across the United States, based on information from Scripps Research’s Outbreak.info platform, which gathers data from the global influenza data-sharing initiative called GISAID.
Covid data analyst Mike Honey has reported that the new variant is currently found in hundreds of patients in 27 countries throughout Europe, North America, and Asia. He noted that there has been a notable increase in cases of XEC, especially in Denmark and Germany.
The 15 countries that have been confirmed are Slovenia, Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark, Taiwan, France, Israel, Italy, Sweden, Ireland, the United Kingdom, Canada, Spain, and the United States.
The occurrence of XEC is not as common in the US and Canada, while it peaked at 5.96% in European cases on August 19. Slovenia experienced significant rates of infection with this variant in August, with more than 10% of samples from the country testing positive for XEC.
The new strain, which is a mix of the KS.1.1 and KP.3.3 variants, shares symptoms with other Covid variants such as fatigue, headaches, sore throat, and fever. Nevertheless, scientists are urging closer observation of the XEC variant to gain a clearer insight into its symptoms.
Professor Francois Balloux, who leads the Genetics Institute at University College London, shared with the BBC that the XEC variant spreads more easily. However, he believes that vaccines should still provide strong protection since it belongs to the Omicron family. He noted that XEC might become the main subvariant this winter.
Recent Covid statistics from the UK indicate a 4.3 percent increase in cases compared to the previous week, with 1,465 hospital admissions attributed to Covid as of August 30. However, the data does not specify which variants are involved. The NHS is providing complimentary booster vaccinations for individuals who are at higher risk of experiencing severe illness from Covid.
“At this point, the XEC variant seems to be the next one that could become prevalent,” stated Eric Topol, Director of the Scripps Research Translational Institute, on X.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) states that it is completely natural for viruses to evolve and undergo changes.
