What is COVID- XEC |All You Need To Know About The Latest COVID-19 Variant
New COVID-19 XEC Variant 2024 Explained
The new coronavirus variant XEC explained: Symptoms, spread and what to know as we head into fall and winter
The new coronavirus variant known as the "XEC variant" is raising questions and attracting researchers' attention as we head into fall and winter.
The variant has spread widely abroad, with countries including Denmark, Germany, the UK and the Netherlands seeing the biggest increases in cases, but the variant also appears to be starting to rise in the US, according to researchers.
What is the XEC variant?
The XEC variant is likely the next variant to become widespread, according to Eric Topol, director of the Scripps Research Translational Institute in California.
Topol said the subvariant is a "combination of the KS.1.1 and KP.3.3 variants" and has "emerged in several countries with a growth advantage." But he added that it may take some time to learn the full extent of this variant.
Topol told the Los Angeles Times that the variant's spread is due to a recent mutation.
While KP.3, dubbed the FLuQE variant, and its subvariant KP.3.1.1 or deFLuQE variant had their own mutations, XEC went further, making it “a highly pathogenic and highly immune-evasive variant.”
He suggested that this could be behind the recent wave of infections among people who otherwise would not have had Covid.
Where is XEC Varient spreading?
The variant remains largely popular abroad, with XEC remaining largely undetected to be included in the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Variant Origin Data Tracker.
The dominant variant in the US is still KP.3.1.1, which currently accounts for more than half of Covid cases, according to CDC estimates.
Data presented over the weekend showed the highest percentages of the variant were in Denmark, the Netherlands, Germany and the UK.
Do vaccines prevent the XEC variant?
Experts have long said that Covid will continue to mutate.
This fall’s vaccine recipe is for a later branch of the Omicron lineage. Both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines target the KP.2 subtype, which was common earlier this year.
Although additional strains are now circulating, especially KP.3.1.1, they are closely related enough that the vaccines show promise for cross-protection. The vaccines are also expected to offer some protection against XEC.
A Pfizer spokesperson said the company has submitted data to the Food and Drug Administration showing that its updated vaccine “provides significantly improved responses” against several subtypes of the virus compared with the vaccine released last fall.
The Covid-19 wave is not over yet this summer, but winter waves tend to be stronger. While Covid-19 vaccines are good at preventing severe illness, hospitalization and death, protection against mild infection lasts only a few months.
What are the symptoms of new COVID-XEC?
It is unclear whether the new variant will bring about a change in symptoms.
While Covid symptoms remain the same:
Cough
sore throat
Nose runs
Need
Fatigue
Headache
Muscle soreness
Change in sense of smell
Cluster
Fever or chills
Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
Nausea or vomiting
diarrhea
Recent reports have focused on specific gastrointestinal symptoms associated with the virus.
Dr. Caitlin Gitellina, a scientific advisor to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and an epidemiologist, said “gastrointestinal issues, including nausea, vomiting and diarrhea,” have previously been identified as possible symptoms of COVID-19.
“We don’t have specific data on the frequency of gastrointestinal symptoms with the current strains of the virus, but COVID-19 symptoms can certainly vary depending on the variant and the individual,” Gitellina told NBC Chicago in July.
Last fall, a Chicago physician said she noticed changes in the most common symptoms reported by her patients as the prevalence of the JN.1 variant rose.
Dr. Chantelle Tingfang, a family medicine physician at Provident Hospital’s Sengstak Medical Center in Cook County, noted at the time that many of the cases she saw included fever, body aches and minor chills, as well as symptoms of sore throat, fatigue and coughing . .
“We still see some patients with decreased appetite and loss of taste or smell,” she said. “So it depends on each individual case. One patient was very tired. There was little he could do. And then you know… this. It’s not just “Coughing and shortness of breath, we’re still seeing this.”
She advised consulting your doctor if your symptoms do not start to improve after the recommended isolation period.
How long does Covid last?
In terms of time, symptoms can persist for several days, but in some cases longer.
“Some people infected with the virus that causes COVID-19 may experience long-term effects of infection, known as long-term COVID or post-COVID (PCC),” the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says.
These symptoms can last for weeks and possibly even years.
However, the recommendations from the previous time period were five to ten days.
What to do if the test result is positive?
In March, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated its recommendations for COVID-19 to reflect recommendations for other respiratory infections. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said those who contract Covid-19 should no longer be separated from others for five days, effectively eliminating the five-day isolation recommendation.
People can return to work or normal activities if their symptoms are mild and improving and a day has passed since they had a fever, but the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention still recommends that people with symptoms stay home.
Recommendations are to return to normal activities when symptoms have generally improved for at least 24 hours and, if fever is present, resolve without the use of antipyretics,” the guidelines state.
Once activities resume, the CDC recommends “additional prevention strategies” for an additional five days, including wearing a mask and keeping your distance from others.
The agency stressed that people should try to prevent infection in the first place by getting vaccinated, washing their hands, and taking steps to get more fresh air outside.
As part of the guidance, the CDC suggests:
Stay up to date on vaccinations to protect people from serious illness, hospitalization, and death. This includes influenza, COVID-19, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) if eligible.
Practice good hygiene by covering coughs and sneezes, washing or sanitizing your hands frequently, and cleaning frequently touched surfaces.
Take steps to provide cleaner air, such as moving more fresh air outside, purifying indoor air, or bringing people together outdoors.
These changes come at a time when the coronavirus is no longer the public health threat it once was. It dropped from the third-leading cause of death in the country at the start of the pandemic to the 10th-leading cause last year.
Most people have some degree of immunity to the coronavirus from vaccinations or previous infections. Some experts say many people aren’t sticking to the five-day lockdown anyway.
Where can I get free coronavirus tests?
After a spike in coronavirus cases over the summer, Americans will be able to receive free virus test kits in the mail starting in late September.
American households will be able to order up to four COVID-19 nasal swab tests when the federal program reopens, according to COVIDtests.gov . The U.S. Health and Human Services Agency, which is overseeing the trial, has not announced a specific start date for applications.
5 key things to know about fast-spreading XEC Variant
The new “XEC” COVID strain is spreading like wildfire in Europe. Here are the key things you need to know about the coronavirus
5 key things to know about the new COVID strain
1.The strain, which belongs to the Omicron variant, is currently spreading “very rapidly” across Europe, North America and Asia.
2.Experts say the XEC virus is developing new mutations that could help it spread this fall. However, vaccines can help prevent severe cases.
3.The strain is reported to cause symptoms similar to those seen with common illnesses such as the flu and the common cold.
4.While most people recover within a few weeks, some may take longer to recover and others may need to be hospitalized.
5.The variant causes flu-like symptoms, including a high temperature or chills, a new or persistent cough, loss or change in sense of smell or taste, shortness of breath, fatigue, body aches, according to the UK’s National Health Service. loss of appetite and more.
So far, about 550 samples have been registered from 27 countries, including Poland, Norway, Luxembourg, Ukraine, Portugal, the United States and China.
The tests will identify current strains of the virus and can be ordered before the holiday season begins, when family and friends gather for celebrations, a Department of Health and Human Services spokesperson said in an emailed statement. Over-the-counter at-home COVID-19 tests cost about $11 as of last year.
