The latest strain of Covid-19 is making its way across the globe, seemingly spreading at a faster rate than previous strains . This alarming increase coincides with the detection of the new XEC variant in 27 countries across Europe, Asia and North America. Despite being discovered just three weeks ago , the XEC variant now makes up 13 percent of cases in Germany, while over 80 cases have been reported in the UK.
Chlamydia's potential hiding spot found in the human gut to evade antibiotics Brooke Shields' daughter shares her 'blaring red flags' of silent killer illness So, what exactly is the Covid XEC variant? Researchers describe XEC as a recombinant variant, which happens when two existing strains merge. This can occur if a person contracts both strains simultaneously. XEC is a mix of two earlier strains with genetic ties to Omicron - a variant first identified in South Africa in 2021 known for its high transmission rate and reduced severity compared to previous forms, according to the Mirror .
Richard Orton, a bioinformatics research associate at the University of Glasgow, raised alarms over the new XEC variant: "XEC appears to have a growth advantage and is spreading faster than other circulating variants, suggesting it will become the dominant variant globally in the next few months." He added: "This new variant will probably be similar to other Covid variants in terms of the disease caused, given its similar genetic information. So symptoms such as a high temperature , .