This subvariant has been reported in at least 11 European countries since it emerged in Germany, but so far it does not meet the criteria to be a variant of concern or concern.
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A new coronavirus variant spreading in Europe and around the world could soon become dominant, medical experts have warned.
The XEC variant is a hybrid of the earlier ohmicron subvariants KS.1.1 and KP.3.3, which are currently predominant in Europe. But mutations in XEC could make it easier to spread the virus this fall, experts told multiple news outlets.
However, a spokesperson for the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) said the virus did not yet meet the criteria to be a variant of concern or concern to public health authorities.
“A very limited number of XEC detections have been reported to date,” the spokesperson said.
Scientists first identified the XEC variant in Berlin in June, and it has since been detected in at least 11 countries in Europe and four other countries around the world.
So far, XEC accounts for at least 1 percent of all samples sequenced in Slovenia, Belgium, Germany, and the Netherlands, according to data from the U.S.-based nonprofit agency Scripps Research updated earlier this month. are.
It has also been confirmed in the United Kingdom, Denmark, France, Ireland, Sweden, Italy and Spain, according to Scripps data.
Get vaccinated before winter arrives
There are some caveats to sequencing data. Viral samples undergoing genome sequencing are not directly representative of community-wide spread cases, and not all labs are progressing with sequencing at the same rate.
This means that strains that appear in sequence data “may not represent the true prevalence of the variant in the population,” Scripps Research said.
Still, it could provide early clues about how the virus is evolving and help researchers and health care providers determine whether certain measures, such as vaccine changes or public health recommendations, are needed. can give you time to do so.
Experts believe existing COVID-19 vaccines should be effective against the XEC variant, BBC News reports.
An ECDC spokesperson told Euronews Next: “XEC has similar properties to the currently circulating variants and there is no change in the severity of infection or the effectiveness of vaccines against severe disease.'' I'm anticipating that.”
ECDC recommends getting vaccinated in advance of the winter season, as protection weakens over time.
“Vaccination is the most effective measure to protect against the more severe forms of COVID-19 and seasonal influenza,” the ECDC said.
This article has been updated with comment from ECDC.
