UK health researchers have detected a new COVID-19 variant, XEC, ahead of what could be another increase in cases this winter.  According to the UK Health Security Agency, the rate of Covid-related hospital admissions had remained steady, increasing to 4.5 per 100,000 people in the week leading up to October 6 from 3.7 the previous week.  This is the fourth successive week of cases, which means attention is now being forced to a new variant of XEC that has been discovered.

Despite reported cases increasing, the UKHSA has yet to sound an alarm about XEC.  Health authorities are now keeping a tight lid.  In contrast, social media analysts speculate that XEC may be the predominant strain, leading to a wave of infections in the winter.  UKHSA consultant epidemiologist Dr Jamie Lopez Bernal explained that including XEC under surveillance does not necessarily mean emerging evidence is more concerning than others. 

 “The information currently does not suggest we should be any more concerned about this variant, but we’re watching this closely,” said Dr. Bernal.

 What is the XEC Variant?

Like many other COVID variants, XEC is part of the Omicron family.  It was first detected in May 2024 and is a recombinant variant originating from a genetic exchange between two other strains, KS.1.1 and KP.3.3.  The WHO reports that XEC is one of the two variants with “increasing prevalence globally” between mid-August and mid-September.  Yet it makes up only a tiny fraction of all infections worldwide, as nearly half come from KP.3.3.

The XEC has been reported in 9.35% of cases taken from September 2nd and 15th, 2024, from the UK, where most fall under KP.3.3 at a rate of 59.35%.

 What are Variants, and How do They Emerge?

A virus can mutate when replicating in a human cell, potentially providing a new variant.  Some mutations give the virus superiority over wild-type versions, increasing its transmission ability or avoiding the human immune system.  Thousands of COVID variants appeared since the beginning of the pandemic, but most had little impact, and many wholly disappeared.  The risk of more dangerous variants remains as long as the virus circulates.

Symptoms of XEC

Currently, no symptoms have been reported for the XEC variant.  It shares symptoms similar to other COVID variants, such as:

•   Mild to severe high temperature
•  Cough that does not stop
• Cough and losing sense of smell or taste
• Shortness of breath
• Fatigue
• Aching body
• Headache
• Sore throat
• Runny or blocked nose

Health authorities advise those experiencing COVID symptoms to stay home and avoid visiting others.

 How to Keep Yourself Safe

Although it has not explicitly warned for XEC, the UKHSA wants to prepare people for winter illnesses like COVID, flu, and respiratory syncytial virus.  A warning is issued throughout the country because of these three main winter threats.  First-hand protection means the vaccine against these viruses, especially for eligible patients.

Adults aged 65 and above, care home residents, and people with underlying health conditions are also targeted for the latest COVID booster shot and the flu vaccine.  Frontline healthcare workers will also be targeted for vaccination.  For the first time, the NHS is going to provide a vaccine against the RSV virus for people aged 75 to 79 and pregnant women, starting at 28 weeks of pregnancy, for protection against this new threat to the newborn child.

Winter will soon be here, and the probability of respiratory infections will multiply by many folds, warn UK health experts while appealing to the public at large to be on guard and observe precautions to protect their health.

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