Amid Mpox outbreak, new XEC COVID variant on the rise, know its symptoms, impact

After the first mpox case was confirmed in India efforts have intensified in India to counter the growing threat of a viral disease following the confirmation of the first mpox case. People are now at risk of contracting a new Covid variant-- XEC--that scientists believe could soon become dominant. 

First discovered in Germany in June, this variant is a hybrid of previously discovered omicron subvariants KS.1.1 and KP.3.3, with KS.1.1 being one of the FLiRT variants responsible for the surge in Covid cases worldwide.

Around 550 samples have now been reported, from 27 countries, including Poland, Norway, Luxembourg, the US and China have now reported samples.

"At this juncture, the XEC variant appears to be the most likely one to get legs next," Eric Topol, Director of the Scripps Research Translational Institute in California, US, said in a recent post on X.

Symptoms of XEC Covid

XEC symptoms resemble that of previous Omicron variants. It includes fever, sore throat, loss of smell, cough, loss of appetite, and body aches.

Other symptoms may include shortness of breath, muscle aches, headache, sore throat, congestion, runny nose, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, as per health experts.

While many recover can recover in few weeks however, it might take longer for some people to be fully recover.

The FLirT variants that basically belong to Omicron lineage lead to milder symptoms compared to Covid's original variant. The symptoms associated with FLirT variants are similar to those of JN.1 and can manifest between two to 14 days after exposure.

Meanwhile, experts are advising taking vaccines and booster shots to get protection against severe illness and hospitalisation.