Health experts have warned that a new Covid variant could soon become dominant in the UK, leading to a surge in illness. Cases of the XEC variant have been detected in 27 countries across Europe, Asia and North America.
Scientists say the variant, which was first found in Germany, is particularly transmissible with more than 600 cases reported so far. And the UK is now among the countries most affected by XEC having detected 82 cases.
According to experts, XEC has some new mutations that might help it spread this autumn, although vaccines should still help prevent severe cases.
Professor Francois Balloux, director of the Genetics Institute at University College London, told BBC News that while XEC has a “slight transmission advantage” over other recent Covid variants, vaccines should still offer good protection.
He said it is possible XEC will become the dominant subvariant over the winter though. And speaking to the LA Times, Eric Topol – director of the Scripps Research Translational Institute, in California, warned that XEC is “just getting started”.
“And that’s going to take many weeks, a couple months, before it really takes hold and starts to cause a wave,” he said. “XEC is definitely taking charge.
“That does appear to be the next variant. But it’s months off from getting into high levels.”
The Gavi Vaccine Alliance reported that XEC is the product of a recombination (exchanged pieces of genetic material between two variants) between the KS.1.1 variant and the KP.3.3 variant.
These two variants both evolved from JN.1, which was the dominant variant around the world at the start of 2024. Gavi said: “XEC has very similar genetic material to both its parent variants as well other circulating variants, which are mostly derived from JN.1.
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“One reason for XEC’s advantage could be the relatively rare T22N mutation (inherited from KS.1.1) combined with Q493E (from KP.3.3) in the spike protein. The spike protein is a critical part of the virus that binds to human cells, enabling the virus to gain entry and start replicating.”
What are the symptoms of the XEC strain?
So far, symptoms of XEC are reported to be the same cold or flu-like ones as before. These include:
- A high temperature or shivering (chills) – a high temperature means you feel hot to touch on your chest or back (you do not need to measure your temperature)
- A new, continuous cough – this means coughing a lot for more than an hour, or three or more coughing episodes in 24 hours
- Feeling tired or exhausted
- An aching body
- A headache
- A sore throat
- A blocked or runny nose.
Other symptoms of Covid as listed by the NHS include:
- Loss of appetite
- Diarrhoea
- Feeling sick or being sick
- Shortness of breath
- A loss or change to your sense of smell or taste.
While there are no longer self-isolation rules in place in the UK, the NHS advises staying home and avoiding contact with others where possible if you display symptoms.
The following groups will be able to have an NHS Covid booster between 3 October and 20 December:
- Over-64s
- People aged between six months and 64 years with health conditions that make them more vulnerable
- People living in care homes for older people
- Frontline health and social care staff, including in care homes for older people.
The NHS will contact eligible patients directly, but they can also book their own appointments now via the NHS App, external, GPs, pharmacies, drop-in clinics, external or by calling 119.
Doctor Gayatri Amirthalingam, deputy director of the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), commented: “It is normal and expected for viruses to genetically change over time. UKHSA continues to monitor all available information relating to emerging Covid variants in the UK and internationally, and to publish our data regularly.
“Vaccination provides the best protection against serious illness from COVID-19, and we urge those who are contacted by the NHS to come forward to receive their autumn vaccine.”