A new COVID variant called XEC is spreading rapidly and could become dominant, scientists told The Conversation.
The XEC variant was first detected in Germany in August 2024. It is spreading faster than other coronavirus variants. More than 600 cases have already been reported in 27 countries across Europe, North America and Asia. In the next few months, XEC could become the dominant variant on the planet.
The new variant may be a product of recombination — an exchange of genetic material between the KS1.1 and KP.3.3 variants. This likely occurred in a person who was simultaneously infected with both variants. The parental variants evolved from JN.1, which was dominant worldwide in early 2024.
Despite the high rate of spread, the new variant is almost identical to its predecessors in other respects. According to available data, symptoms of infection include high fever, sore throat, headache and body pain, fatigue and cough.
