A new strain of COVID-19 that is expected to become the dominant variant globally in the coming months is spreading rapidly across Europe and the United States.
The new variant, known as XEC, was first detected in Germany in June, but has spread to 27 countries, including France and the United States, infecting more than 600 people.
XEC is the latest in a long line of past and current COVID variants that are being monitored as the COVID-19 virus evolves naturally.
The strain has been described by health experts as a recombinant variant. Recombinants can arise naturally when a person is simultaneously infected with two different COVID-19s.
The XEC variants, health experts say, are the product of recombination between two hybrids of previously discovered omicron subvariants: KS.1.1 and KP.3.3. These two main variants are closely related and both evolved from JN.1, which was the dominant variant worldwide as of early 2024.
Researchers detect cases of XEC through the public database Gisaid, where viral genetic sequences are submitted for examination. This platform allows us to identify mutations in SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for COVID-19.
Currently, the US has reported 118 cases of XEC, the highest number globally. Germany has 92 cases of XEC, the UK has 82, Canada has 77 and Denmark has 61 cases according to media reports, but the actual numbers are likely to be higher in countries that do not regularly sequence COVID samples.
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Mutation
In Europe and North America, the dominant variant is KP.3.1.1, while Asia is mainly affected by the closely related KP.3.3 variant.
XEC has not been reported in any African country, but experts suggest the strain is likely to become the dominant variant globally in the coming months.
Compared to other strains, XEC is said to have a greater growth advantage and spread much faster than the others.
Experts said that XEC has this advantage because of its relatively rare T22N mutation (inherited from KS.1.1) combined with Q493E (from KP.3.3) in the spike protein.
The spike protein is said to play a crucial role in helping the virus attach to human cells, allowing it to enter and begin replication.
However, the impact of the T22N mutation on the virus's ability to replicate or spread between individuals remains unclear.
The first strain of COVID-19 and the first known case of the virus emerged in December 2019, with initial cases reported in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China.
The virus, later identified as SARS-CoV-2, spread rapidly around the world, leading to the declaration of a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO) in March 2020. In Nigeria alone, it was They recorded at least 267,000 cases of COVID-19 with one fatality. rate of 1.2 percent.
How XEC spreads
Since the initial outbreak of COVID-19, several new strains or variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus have emerged due to mutations.
These variants reflect the current evolution of SARS-CoV-2, with some causing more severe waves of infection than others, often influenced by their ability to spread and evade immunity.
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The newest variant of the coronavirus, XEC, spreads primarily through respiratory droplets that are released into the air when an infected person breathes, talks, coughs or sneezes. Although the virus can persist on surfaces, surface transmission is said to be less common compared to airborne spread.
As a result, health authorities recommend maintaining social distancing, wearing masks in public places and using hand sanitizer regularly to minimize the risk of infection.
The XEC Newslodgevariant is conscious, it does not present any unique symptoms. Like other variants, XEC can cause symptoms such as sore throat, fever, fatigue and muscle aches, which usually appear two to 14 days after exposure.
These symptoms are usually mild, but the severity can vary widely. High-risk people, including the elderly, may experience more intense illness, while some cases may not show any symptoms.