XEC strain of COVID-19 spreading in Europe and could become dominant in US

  

A new COVID-19 variant known as XEC is emerging in Europe, and some medical experts believe it could become the dominant strain in the U.S. soon. The variant, part of the Omicron family, was first identified in Berlin in June, according to Australian data specialist Mike Honey, and has since spread in Germany, Denmark, and the Netherlands.

Scripps Research has tracked 95 global cases of XEC, with 25 reported in the U.S. Currently, the KP.3.1.1 strain remains the leading cause of infections in the U.S., accounting for over 50% of new cases, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Though XEC has not yet appeared on the CDC’s variant tracker, Dr. Eric Topol of Scripps Research believes it is "the most likely one to take off next."

As in the U.S., European health officials are urging people to get vaccinated ahead of a predicted winter surge. The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control has stated that XEC is expected to have similar characteristics to existing variants, with no change in infection severity or vaccine effectiveness against severe illness.

XEC's symptoms are anticipated to be similar to other current variants, including:

- Fever or chills

- Cough

- Shortness of breath

- Sore throat

Updated COVID-19 vaccines are now available, and health authorities recommend that everyone aged 6 months and older receive the new shot for protection against circulating and emerging variants.

Scripps Research, a nonprofit historically funded by the founders of the E.W. Scripps Company, which also owns Scripps News, continues to monitor the spread of the XEC variant.