Scientists are raising concerns about a new Covid variant, designated XEC, which is showing signs of rapid spread across Europe and could soon become the predominant strain globally.
Director of the Scripps Research Translational Institute, Eric Topol, highlighted the situation in a recent X post, stating, “At this juncture, the XEC variant appears to be the most likely one to get legs next.”
He further emphasized that XEC seems to be gaining significant traction.
Predictions made in August had suggested that XEC might take several weeks to a few months to gain momentum. Now, Dr. Topol confirms, “XEC is definitely taking charge.”
The XEC variant, a sublineage of the Omicron strain, was first identified in Berlin in June.
According to Covid data analyst Mike Honey, it is now spreading “quite rapidly” throughout Europe, North America, and parts of Asia. In Slovenia, for example, over 10 percent of Covid samples in August were found to contain the XEC variant.
XEC is a hybrid of two previously identified Omicron subvariants: KS.1.1 and KP.3.3. The KS.1.1 subvariant, part of the FLiRT category, features mutations where phenylalanine (F) is replaced with leucine (L), and arginine (R) is altered to threonine (T) on the virus’s spike protein.
This protein is crucial for the virus’s attachment to human cells. The KP.3.3 subvariant falls under the FLuQE category, with glutamine (Q) mutated to glutamic acid (E), enhancing its binding effectiveness.
To date, XEC has been detected in over 500 samples from 27 countries, including Poland, Norway, Luxembourg, Ukraine, Portugal, and China. Notably, the variant is showing strong growth in Denmark, Germany, the UK, and the Netherlands.
Despite its rapid spread, XEC’s symptoms remain consistent with those of other Covid variants: fever, sore throat, cough, loss of smell, loss of appetite, and body aches.
Experts suggest that, as XEC is still a subvariant of Omicron, staying current with vaccinations and booster shots should provide adequate protection against severe disease and hospitalization.
The US Centers for Disease Control & Prevention recommends maintaining good hygiene practices and improving air quality as preventive measures. Researchers emphasize the importance of closely monitoring XEC to better understand its impact and spread.
