Post by Nadica (She/Her) on Sept 17, 2024 2:54:07 GMT
The XEC Covid Variant Is About To Hit The U.S.—Experts Say To Look Out For These Symptoms - Published Sept 16, 2024
By Korin Miller
Many COVID-19 variants have come and gone since the pandemic began, but some get more buzz than others. Now, there’s another new variant getting attention from the infectious disease community. It’s called XEC, and it’s currently spreading in Europe.
XEC is an Omicron variant that descended from subvariants KS.1.1 and FLiRT variant KP.3.3, according to Scripps Research’s Outbreak.info. XEC has several spike mutations, which is what the virus uses to infect you—and it might be more infectious that previous strains because of it.
So, will the new variant hit the U.S.? What symptoms should be on your radar? Here’s the deal.
Meet the experts: Amy Edwards, MD, associate professor at Case Western Reserve University and director of the Pediatric COVID Recovery Clinic at UH Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital; Mark Cameron, PhD, an associate professor in the Department of Population and Quantitative Health Sciences at the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. Emily Smith, ScD, MPH, is an epidemiologist and an assistant professor at the George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health.
What symptoms should I watch for?
XEC is a pretty new variant and, with that, there isn’t a ton of information right now on symptoms people have experienced with it. However, early reports don’t suggest that it causes dramatically different symptoms from other strains of COVID-19.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), symptoms may include:
Fever or chills
Cough
Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
Sore throat
Congestion or runny nose
New loss of taste or smell
Fatigue
Muscle or body aches
Headache
Nausea or vomiting
Diarrhea
When will the new variant hit the U.S.?
While the XEC variant is getting a lot of attention in Europe, it’s already hit the U.S. As of Sept. 3, data show that there have been 23 cases of COVID-19 caused by the XEC variant in the U.S., with three happening in California.
The virus was first detected here on July 14, but hasn’t been detected since Aug. 16. That doesn’t mean it’s no longer here, though. Because so many people do home tests (or don’t test at all) when they have symptoms of COVID-19, it can be tricky to get information on different strains of COVID-19.
Will it become the dominant COVID variant?
That’s not clear. As of this second, XEC isn’t even a blip on the CDC’s radar. The CDC’s variant surveillance system shows that KP.3.1.1 is the dominant strain in the U.S., followed by KP.2.3, and LB.1. XEC isn’t even listed on the surveillance.
That doesn’t mean it won’t spread, though.
“Just like JN.1 emerged from BA.2.86 late last year to drive new COVID infections through last fall and winter, XEC may have similar potential,” says Mark Cameron, PhD, an associate professor in the Department of Population and Quantitative Health Sciences at the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. “But we need to know more about the XEC variant and perhaps those still to come.”
But lately we’ve seen several variants circulate heavily at the same time, points out Amy Edwards, MD, associate professor at Case Western Reserve University and director of the Pediatric COVID Recovery Clinic at UH Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital. “Dominant is a strong word,” she says. “With so many very contagious variants, I think the days of having one dominant variant is gone.”
How can I protect myself?
The CDC currently recommends that everyone aged 6 months and up get the updated COVID-19 vaccine, making that a good place to start. “As yet another Omicron family member, being up to date on the latest COVID-19 booster is a protective measure we can take right now,” Cameron says.
"The main thing we can do to slow a new variant or new wave is to get our booster shots this fall," says Emily Smith, ScD, MPH, an epidemiologist and an assistant professor at the George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health. "Generally, we find the boosters give us broad protection, even against new variants."
It’s also a good idea to wear a mask in crowded indoor areas when levels of COVID-19 are high in your area, especially if you’re consider high risk for complications of the virus. And, of course, if you develop symptoms of the virus, it’s a good idea to test yourself to see if you have the virus so you can lower the odds you’ll spread it to others.
If you do, in fact, have COVID-19 and are considered high risk for serious complications from the virus, you may want to contact your primary care physician about taking an antiviral medication like Paxlovid.
By Korin Miller
Many COVID-19 variants have come and gone since the pandemic began, but some get more buzz than others. Now, there’s another new variant getting attention from the infectious disease community. It’s called XEC, and it’s currently spreading in Europe.
XEC is an Omicron variant that descended from subvariants KS.1.1 and FLiRT variant KP.3.3, according to Scripps Research’s Outbreak.info. XEC has several spike mutations, which is what the virus uses to infect you—and it might be more infectious that previous strains because of it.
So, will the new variant hit the U.S.? What symptoms should be on your radar? Here’s the deal.
Meet the experts: Amy Edwards, MD, associate professor at Case Western Reserve University and director of the Pediatric COVID Recovery Clinic at UH Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital; Mark Cameron, PhD, an associate professor in the Department of Population and Quantitative Health Sciences at the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. Emily Smith, ScD, MPH, is an epidemiologist and an assistant professor at the George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health.
What symptoms should I watch for?
XEC is a pretty new variant and, with that, there isn’t a ton of information right now on symptoms people have experienced with it. However, early reports don’t suggest that it causes dramatically different symptoms from other strains of COVID-19.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), symptoms may include:
Fever or chills
Cough
Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
Sore throat
Congestion or runny nose
New loss of taste or smell
Fatigue
Muscle or body aches
Headache
Nausea or vomiting
Diarrhea
When will the new variant hit the U.S.?
While the XEC variant is getting a lot of attention in Europe, it’s already hit the U.S. As of Sept. 3, data show that there have been 23 cases of COVID-19 caused by the XEC variant in the U.S., with three happening in California.
The virus was first detected here on July 14, but hasn’t been detected since Aug. 16. That doesn’t mean it’s no longer here, though. Because so many people do home tests (or don’t test at all) when they have symptoms of COVID-19, it can be tricky to get information on different strains of COVID-19.
Will it become the dominant COVID variant?
That’s not clear. As of this second, XEC isn’t even a blip on the CDC’s radar. The CDC’s variant surveillance system shows that KP.3.1.1 is the dominant strain in the U.S., followed by KP.2.3, and LB.1. XEC isn’t even listed on the surveillance.
That doesn’t mean it won’t spread, though.
“Just like JN.1 emerged from BA.2.86 late last year to drive new COVID infections through last fall and winter, XEC may have similar potential,” says Mark Cameron, PhD, an associate professor in the Department of Population and Quantitative Health Sciences at the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. “But we need to know more about the XEC variant and perhaps those still to come.”
But lately we’ve seen several variants circulate heavily at the same time, points out Amy Edwards, MD, associate professor at Case Western Reserve University and director of the Pediatric COVID Recovery Clinic at UH Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital. “Dominant is a strong word,” she says. “With so many very contagious variants, I think the days of having one dominant variant is gone.”
How can I protect myself?
The CDC currently recommends that everyone aged 6 months and up get the updated COVID-19 vaccine, making that a good place to start. “As yet another Omicron family member, being up to date on the latest COVID-19 booster is a protective measure we can take right now,” Cameron says.
"The main thing we can do to slow a new variant or new wave is to get our booster shots this fall," says Emily Smith, ScD, MPH, an epidemiologist and an assistant professor at the George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health. "Generally, we find the boosters give us broad protection, even against new variants."
It’s also a good idea to wear a mask in crowded indoor areas when levels of COVID-19 are high in your area, especially if you’re consider high risk for complications of the virus. And, of course, if you develop symptoms of the virus, it’s a good idea to test yourself to see if you have the virus so you can lower the odds you’ll spread it to others.
If you do, in fact, have COVID-19 and are considered high risk for serious complications from the virus, you may want to contact your primary care physician about taking an antiviral medication like Paxlovid.