It has been reported that scientists had warned that a “more contagious” variant of the Covid virus, dubbed XEC, is starting to spread more rapidly across Europe and could soon become the dominant strain.
Eric Topol, director of the Scripps Research Translational Institute in La Jolla, was noted as saying in a post on X that “at this juncture, the XEC variant appears to be the most likely one to get legs next,”
Furthermore, it was said that in August researchers had predicted that this variant could “take a few weeks to a couple of months to take off and spread more rapidly.” Dr Tpol was also noted as saying that, “XEC is definitely taking charge”.
XEC is a sublineage of the Omicron variant, was first reported, in June in Berlin in Germany, and It has also been reported that Covid data analyst Mike Honey has said that it is now spreading “quite rapidly” across Europe, North America and Asia.
This news comes after a difficult Covid summer, when it is reported that there has been an increase in the number of cases where Covid is recorded on death certificates.
Professor Mark Wass is quoted as saying;
“Over the last few years, Covid-19 has become an illness that we have learnt to live with. But that does not mean it’s not still a deadly disease. Data from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) shows that over the last few months there have been 100-200 deaths related to Covid-19 per week. While Covid-19 is still deadly, for many symptoms are now similar to a cold – but there is always the risk of long Covid”.
It is also reported that being vaccinated reduces the risk of contracting long Covid by four times, but at present only the most vulnerable are eligible and anybody else wishing to be vaccinated must pay at least £45, as was reported on North East Bylines in March with two pharmacies in the North East said to be offering jabs.
Zoe Beaty, writing in The Independent also said that, “anecdotally at least, those unable to get boosters who catch the virus appear to be feeling the after effects. And since knowledge of long Covid will only increase as the years go by, we’re learning of more cases or more severe cases.”
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