The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic that has shaken the whole world is yet to stop. These days its new variant (COVID-19 variant XEC) has created havoc in Europe. Scientists are worried because it is more contagious than the previous strain, which means it can spread rapidly from person to person. This new variant XEC is a combination of two other variants KS.1.1 and KP.3.3. Out of these, KS.1.1 is also a FLiRT variant, which is believed to be responsible for the increasing cases of COVID-19 in many countries around the world.

Although its symptoms are mild like the Omicron variant such as fever, cough and fatigue, scientists are still studying how effective the existing vaccine is against this new variant. Experts believe that this variant can spread more rapidly in the winter season, because viruses survive longer in cold weather. In this article, let us tell you about some very important things related to Covid XEC Variant, by knowing which you can protect yourself from this dangerous virus.

1) The new variant spreads rapidly

According to reports, the XEC variant has spread to more than 27 countries in just a few months. Europe has reported the highest number of infections due to this variant. As of September 3, 23 cases were also reported in the US. Most infections in countries like Denmark and Germany have also been caused by this variant. This clearly shows that the XEC variant is spreading rapidly and its infectiousness rate is quite high.

2) The virus has mutated many times

According to experts, the new variant of Covid-19, XEC, has undergone more mutations than other variants. Due to these mutations, the XEC variant has become more contagious and is spreading rapidly. Therefore, it is very important to adopt measures like maintaining physical distance, wearing masks and washing hands frequently to avoid infection.

3) Symptoms are not serious

All new coronavirus variants have originated from Omicron. The symptoms of these new variants are similar to those of Omicron, which are usually mild. The XEC variant also causes symptoms such as fever, cough, sore throat, runny nose, loss of taste or smell, difficulty breathing, body aches, headache, nausea and diarrhea.

4) Will the vaccine provide protection?

A new vaccine has been developed to target the new COVID-19 strain KP.2, but the virus is constantly changing and evolving at a pace much faster than the vaccine can be updated. However, the vaccine is still the most effective way to prevent severe disease. Booster doses may prove to be very effective against Omicron and its sub-variants.

5) Will the danger increase in winter?

Eric Topol, director of the Scripps Research Translational Institute, warned in a recent social media post that the XEC variant could become the fastest spreading coronavirus variant in the next few months. Topol believes that the XEC variant is more contagious than other variants and could soon spread around the world.