Recently, a newly discovered COVID subvariant called XEC has caused a surge in cases across Europe and the world. First detected in Germany, this variant has quickly captured the attention of medical professionals around the world.
Reports indicate that XEC has spread to other European countries, including the Netherlands. While cases in the United States are currently low, XEC could eventually overtake the currently dominant subvariant, KP.3.1.1.
A California scientist told a major US media outlet that XEC is “just getting started” and it may take several weeks or months before it starts to have a significant impact on global and national case numbers. He added that while XEC is “definitely taking over” and appears to be the next prominent variant, it will take time and months to reach high levels.
According to Dr. Eric Topol, director of the Scripps Research Translational Institute in La Jolla, the expected mid-year wave began in May, when the dominant winter subvariant, JN.1, gave way to several subvariants dubbed FLiRT — a cheeky reference to two key mutations, F456L and R346T. “Eventually, FLiRT gave way to new variants that had an even greater growth advantage,” Topol added.
XEC is thought to be a recombination of two different, less discussed subvariants: KS.1.1 and KP.3.3.
“We’ll really have to keep an eye on it, because the overall information on that is not very solid right now, but I imagine over the next few weeks, particularly if it starts to pick up more and more, we’ll hear a little bit more about it,” said Dr. Elizabeth Hudson, regional chief of infectious diseases for Kaiser Permanente Southern California.
Scientists advise people to continue taking precautionary measures, including wearing masks in crowded indoor spaces and staying up to date with vaccinations.
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