Covid-19: a new variant, “XEC”, arrives in France – 09/30/2024

A vaccination campaign will begin on October 15, with vaccines adapted to this new strain. Although the CEC variant presents symptoms similar to those already encountered with previous forms of the virus, it remains important to prepare for a possible increase in cases.

Even if the major health crisis linked to Covid-19 belongs to the past, the virus continues to actively circulate. As cold temperatures return, infections could increase. The XEC variant, recently detected in France, worries health authorities because of its transmission capacity. However, the vaccines developed for this fall campaign are designed to offer protection against this new form of the virus. Note that the flu vaccination campaign will be carried out in parallel, allowing double protection.

The symptoms associated with the XEC variant remain close to those already known: cough, sore throat, persistent headache, fever and, in some cases, a loss of taste and smell. Although its spread is rapid, particularly in Europe, this variant is not expected to be more dangerous than its predecessors. The recommendations in the event of infection therefore remain the same: limit social contacts and isolate yourself as soon as symptoms appear.