Covid-19 variant XEC may spread more easily than previous variantsJarun Ontakrai/Shutterstock
A new covid-19 variant called XEC has started to spread in many regions worldwide, primarily in Europe. Early evidence indicates that it may be transmitted more easily than past variants, but public health experts say it is very similar to previous ones and available vaccines work against it. Here is what we know about XEC so far.
What is the new covid-19 XEC variant?
XEC is a combination of two other SARS-CoV-2 variants known as KP.3.3 and KS.1.1. It formed when the two variants infected the same organism – such as a person – simultaneously, allowing them to share genetic material.
XEC is a genetic offshoot of omicron, a highly transmissible variant that first emerged in South Africa in 2021. “You can think of these new variants as great-grandchildren or grandchildren of omicron,” says William Schaffner at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in…
