New Covid variant XEC: What are the symptoms and is it in the UK?

Talk of the new Covid variant – known as XEC – is currently rife, with reports emerging that the variant, first detected in Germany in June, is spreading across the United States and the rest of Europe. To date, the new strain has been detected in at least 15 countries and 12 US states and now, reports of people catching XEC are emerging in the UK (though some insist it is too soon to confirm). 

Professor Francois Balloux, director of the Genetics Institute at University College London told us that XEC is “almost certainly” already here in the UK, and likely to account for around 5 per cent of all current Covid cases. He says that XEC, like Omicron before it, could become the dominant subvariant over the coming months thanks to its greater transmissibility. “We currently have three or four variants with high-frequency cases, so it may or may not take over.” 

What is the new Covid variant?

XEC is what’s known as an “offspring” of two previous variants, often described as a “recombinant” or “hybrid” variant. They occur naturally when a person is simultaneously infected with two different Covid variants, explains Paul R Hunter, professor of medicine at the University of East Anglia. “Given the number of countries it has been reported from, it does seem to have some transmission advantage over previous variants so is likely to significantly increase cases, though it’s uncertain whether it will become a dominant variant or not.” 

Is XEC in the UK already? 

While some say yes, Hunter says it’s too soon to know for sure. “We don’t know conclusively whether XEC is in the UK yet. Because we typically only test people who are sick enough to go into hospital (over 90% of reported infections are in hospitalised people), people generally get the infection and four or five days later develop symptoms, going into hospital a week or so later.” 

He continued:” It could therefore be up to two weeks after someone is infected before they have a sample taken, then up to a week before sample results determine whether it’s the new strain. So right now, it’s too soon to conclusively say that it’s here.” 

How dangerous is the new Covid variant?

While the variant appears to be highly transmissible, there are too few cases to draw any meaningful predictions just yet, says Hunter. But we shouldn’t necessarily panic. “Previous recombinant viruses have generally not had as big an impact as some predicted. Because they are ‘hybrids’, there is typically a lot of pre-existing immunity. In general, since the appearance of Omicron, each new variant has had less of a severe impact than the previous one.” 

We should expect new variants going forward. “They are going to be cropping up two or three times a year for decades to come, but that doesn’t mean it’s going to have a big impact on disease,” he adds. Most people will not be hugely affected, adds Balloux. “The new strain will likely generate extra cases but most people – namely those in good health – will be well-protected.” 

How long does XEC last?

There’s no way of knowing just yet. “There are far too few cases to know,” says Hunter. “In most countries, we only record cases of the most severely ill people. So if we’re only getting to hear about one in every 200 infections, it’s very difficult to extrapolate any meaningful data from that.” Based on previous variants, we could be looking at similar symptoms (a high temperature, aches, a cough and tiredness), lasting a similar amount of time. 

Will old Covid tests and vaccines work on XEC? 

PCR tests should detect the new strain, says Hunter. “PCR tests will definitely pick up XEC – they target parts of the virus that are genetically very stable and identifiable. We don’t know whether lateral flow tests will detect XEC, but we know they are not as effective at detecting Covid in general.”

Vaccines offer good protection.“We know that protection against severe disease [following infection or vaccination] lasts months. I also suspect the immunity to infection duration is probably getting longer too, though it’s an impression we can’t currently prove.

“A single round of vaccinations probably offers around 50 per cent protection from infection for around four months, but will protect from severe illness for about 12 to 18 months,“ says Hunter. “So if you’d had a vaccine and/or an infection over a year ago, you’re unlikely to be protected against an infection but will still have good protection against severe disease.”

How many Covid variants are there in the UK?

In short, many… “It depends how you define a variant,” explains Balloux. “All current strains are immediate descents of Corona and we now have many different lineages, all descending from other lineages.”

Is there anything else we can do to protect ourselves?

Experts agree the new booster vaccine offers good protection against XEC. Those eligible will be able to book a Covid booster from September 23 via the NHS (those eligible will be contacted). 

This includes adults aged 65 years and people aged between six months and 64 years old with specific health conditions that make them more vulnerable. Frontline health and social care staff, including those working in care homes, will also be offered the vaccine.