Mission Statement: to assist the integration of foreign residents living in Spain
By Gemma Middleton • Updated: 13 Oct 2024 • 18:55 • 1 minute read
XEC coronavirus cell photo -freepik.com
XEC, a new Coronavirus strain, is working its way around Europe and the USA at the moment and experts are concerned that it could become dominant in Spain during the colder winter months. The XEC is a variant of the Omicron family and was first detected in June of 2024 in Germany. Since then cases have been reported in various countries including France, Ireland, Spain and the UK.
Dr. Scott Roberts, an infectious disease expert at Yale Medicine said that “the increase in respiratory infections globally coincides with the spread of the variant, whose speed of transmission seems to be greater compared to previous strains in some parts of Europe.” The World Health Organisation(WHO) has not yet classified XEC as a ‘variant of concern’, but confirmed it is ‘under surveillance’. Dr.William Schaffner of the Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Tennessee noted that XEC shares many characteristics of previous Omicron strains. In an article published in The New Scientist, Dr. Schaffner stated “You can think of these new variants as their great-grandchildren or grandchildren.”
The new strain can spread easily and quickly but causes less severe symptoms than earlier variants which means the majority of cases will be mild. The main symptoms of XEC are a fever, loss of taste and smell, fatigue, headache, body aches, runny nose and a persistent cough. There are no new symptoms reported to be exclusive only to the XEC variant.
The current vaccination will still provide good protection and be effective against this new strain. Experts are also saying there is no need to be alarmed and it’s usual for a Covid strain to mutate.
Share this story
Subscribe to our Euro Weekly News alerts to get the latest stories into your inbox!
By signing up, you will create a Euro Weekly News account if you don't already have one. Review our Privacy Policy for more information about our privacy practices.
Gemma is a content writer, teacher and screenwriter who has lived in Spain for 16 years. She's now enjoying her time as an 'empty nester'
Download our media pack in either English or Spanish.