Presented by some experts as the next dominant variant of Covid-19, will XEC be at the origin of a new vaguevague in the coming months? XEC was first identified in Germany in June 2024. According to Éric Topol, director of Scripps research translational institute in California (United States), a biomedical research center, this new variant of Covid-19 is “ and hybridhybrid variants KS.1.1 and KP.3.3”, old sub-variants of BA.2. 86, himself a descendant ofOmicronOmicron.
XEC has gained a lot of ground since the beginning of the summer and could soon become the new dominant sub-variant in place of KP.3.1.1, the latest hyper-infectious variant, currently dominant in Europe and the United States. According to Mike Honey, data scientistdata scientist Covid specialist, XEC has grown in Germany, Denmark, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, France and the United States. According to the specialist, it is currently found in 27 countries on three continents.
This new variant, neither more nor less serious… for now
Contacted by Destination Santé, ECDC, the European Center for preventionprevention and disease control, highlights that to date, a very limited number of detections of XEC have been reported in Europe. And no data allows, for the moment, to directly evaluate immune evasion, transmissibility, gravitygravity or the effectiveness of the vaccine against severe forms of Covid-19 compared to other descendant lines of BA.2.86.
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Based on the data currently available, in particular its mutations, the European health authority estimates that XEC should present characteristics similar to its cousins currently in circulation; neither more nor less serious, and with an equivalent level of vaccine effectiveness. The ECDC believes that it is currently too early to know whether XEC will continue its progress. And, at this stage, there is no indication that XEC is influencing the prevalence of Covid-19 in the countries where it has been reported.
When will the next wave arrive?
For his part, Dr Eric Topol told Euronews that “XEC is just getting started around the world”. “It’s going to take several weeks, a few months before it really sets in and starts to cause a wave, he continues. XEC is definitely taking matters into its own hands. (…)) But it will take months to reach high levels. »
The fact that vaccines have been updated for recent variants could help XEC, descended from older sub-variants, become dominant. Thus, according to Professor François Balloux, director of the Institute of Genetics of theUniversity College Londoninterviewed by the BBC, XEC would have “a slight transmission advantage”compared to other variants. However, vaccines should remain effective.
“It’s going to take several weeks, a few months before it really takes hold and starts to cause a wave”
As a reminder, the different variants and sub-variants of SARS-CoV-2 are classified by group: VOC for variant of concern, VOI for variant to be monitored and VUM for “variant under surveillance”. XEC does not appear in any of these categories at this stage. The ECDC, however, assures that the situation remains, in any case, under surveillance.
Vaccination remains the best protection. “Even in the absence of new variants, a reduction in the protection conferred by the vaccinationvaccination or by a previous infection as well as sustained circulation of the virusvirus could lead to an increase in severe forms, particularly among vulnerable people. Measures to prevent respiratory viruses therefore remain relevant, in particular the vaccination strategy in view of the evolution of the circulation of variants. underlines Public Health France.
