Listen to Story The new Covid-19 variant, XEC, which is a hybrid of the earlier Omicron subvariants KS.1.1 and KP.
3.3, was first detected in Germany and has since spread to more than 27 countries. Currently, this variant is dominant in Europe, with experts in India warning it could soon surpass previous strains.
The symptoms of the XEC variant are similar to those of earlier Omicron variants, including fever, sore throat, loss of smell, cough, loss of appetite, and body aches. Health experts also note that additional symptoms such as shortness of breath, muscle aches, headaches, congestion, runny nose, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhoea may occur. "With winter approaching in several Western nations, XEC is expected to take over," said Dr Rajeev Jayadevan, co-chairman of the national IMA COVID task force and former president of the Indian Medical Association (Kochi).
While XEC is spreading across various countries, there is no indication of increased severity, Dr Jayadevan added. However, he cautioned that immunity to Covid-19 tends to be short-lived, and reinfections remain possible. Dr Jayadevan further pointed out that repeated infections could lead to the risk of long Covid, resulting in chronic health issues.
He said Covid-19 is likely to remain a cyclical disease with the virus undergoing genetic changes and adaptations over time. "XEC seen in 2024, reminds us of XBB a recombinant variant that came in 2022, which was a result of genetic changes between two variants," said D.