First reported in June 2024 in Berlin, Germany, a variant of the Omicron variant of Covid-19, named XEC, could soon overtake the KP.3.1.1 subvariant, considered the most infectious version of the virus in the world. According to the Los Angeles Times relayed by Health Magazine Tuesday, September 17, 2024, it would already be found across Europe, as well as in North America and Asia.
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XEC “is only just beginning in the world”said Eric Topol, director of the Scripps Research Translational Institute in La Jolla, USA, adding that “ It will take many weeks, if not months, before it really takes hold and starts making waves.”. By May 2024, the dominant winter sub-variant, JN.1, had given way to a number of sub-variants dubbed FLiRT, which, as the expert explains, have “ended up being replaced by new variants that had an even greater growth advantage”.
Symptoms identical to Omicron
According to Top Health which takes up data published by analysts, the XEC variant would have spread mainly in Denmark, Germany, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands. It would develop every day in a regular manner, taking advantage of the other sub-variants, and risks becoming the majority in Europe. Experts indicate that to protect yourself, it is enough to be up to date with vaccines and boosters, XEC being still only a sub-family of Omicron, with identical symptoms.
However, infectious disease specialist Elizabeth Hudson told the American daily that caution is advised, because Covid is much more complex than the flu virus. “We’ll really have to be careful – because the general information on this is not very solid at the moment – but I imagine that over the next couple of weeks, particularly if [la souche XEC] is starting to pick up steam, we’ll hear a little more about it.”she analyzed.
