New XEC Covid Variant Spreads To 27 Countries, Here's What We Know So Far

The XEC variant is a hybrid of the earlier omicron subvariants KS.1.1 and KP.3.3, which is currently dominant in Europe.

Scientists have warned that a "more contagious" variant of Covid-19, dubbed XEC, is spreading more rapidly across Europe and could soon become the dominant strain. According to the BBC, the new variant was first identified in Germany in June, and since then, the XEC variant has emerged in the UK, US, Denmark and several other countries. Experts have said that the new variant, a sublineage of the omicron variant, has some new mutations that might help it spread this autumn, although vaccines should still help prevent severe cases. 

The XEC variant is a hybrid of the earlier omicron subvariants KS.1.1 and KP.3.3, which is currently dominant in Europe. So far, 500 samples from 27 countries, including Poland, Norway, Luxembourg, Ukraine, Portugal and China, have been found to contain XEC, The Independent reported. Experts point to strong growth of the variant in Denmark, Germany, the UK, and the Netherlands.

Professor Francois Balloux, Director of the Genetics Institute at University College London, told BBC that although XEC has a "slight transmission advantage" over other recent Covid variants, vaccines should still offer good protection. But he also added that XEC may become the dominant subvariant over the winter.