New Covid XEC variant 'taking charge' as experts predict new wave of infections
Health experts have suggested that a new Covid variant is likely to become the dominant variant as winter approaches. The XEC strain, which was first discovered in Germany back in June, has now been found in 15 countries across three continents.
Experts say the strain is now 'taking charge' and is likely to spread across the globe. Eric Topol, the director of the Scripps Research Translational Institute in California, said the XEC variant is "just getting started" but it will only be a couple of months until the strain "takes hold and starts to cause a wave". READ MORE: Dad and apprentice son died after falling 14 storeys while at work He told the LA Times: "XEC is definitely taking charge.
That does appear to be the next variant. But it's months off from getting into high levels." Dr Elizabeth Hudson, the regional chief of infectious diseases for Kaiser Permanente Southern California, said experts will continue to monitor the new strain over the coming months, the Mirror reports.
She said vaccines will still provide some protection against the latest variant "because there is some overlap, because these are all sub, sub, sub-grandchildren of the original Omicron.
United States
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Cases: 46 252 513
Deaths: 750 423
Recovered: 0
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India
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Cases: 34 321 025
Deaths: 459 652
Recovered: 0
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Brazil
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Cases: 21 835 785
Deaths: 608 235
Recovered: 0
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United Kingdom
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Cases: 9 215 683
Deaths: 141 607
Recovered: 0
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Russia
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Cases: 8 494 589
Deaths: 237 619
Recovered: 0
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