Brits are being alerted about a new Covid variant that’s rapidly spreading across the UK. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has issued a warning about the XEC strain, which is seeing a significant increase in cases.
This new strain is a combination of two previous variants, KS.1.1 and KP.3.3. Hospital admissions for patients with this new strain have seen an uptick since the beginning of the month.
As of October 6, 4.5 per 100,000 people tested positive for XEC, up from 3.7 a week earlier. Symptoms include fatigue, headaches, sore throat, and high temperatures, similar to other strains.
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However, it’s believed that XEC is more transmissible due to numerous mutations from the original Covid strain. Current NHS advice for those testing positive for Covid is to avoid contact with others for at least five days, although self-isolation is no longer legally required, reports the Mirror.
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To minimise risk to vulnerable individuals, medical professionals recommend avoiding contact for 10 days following a positive test. If you’re experiencing Covid symptoms, it’s advisable to wait until they’ve subsided before resuming your usual routine.
The symptom progression for the XEC variant typically starts with a fever, followed by a cough, sore throat, muscle pain or headache, then nausea or vomiting, and finally diarrhoea.
Dr Robert Glatter made an important distinction about flu symptoms, as reported by Healthline, stating: “Patients with seasonal flu more commonly developed a cough before the onset of fever.”
Detecting this subtle difference in how symptoms show up can be crucial for doctors to discern if a patient has Covid or another sickness. Meanwhile, the NHS is rolling out its Covid booster campaign targeting select groups including folks over 65, frontline workers in health and social care, plus residents and staff in care homes.
Those with medical conditions placing them at higher risk, along with pregnant women, are also being called up for their shots. Eligible individuals can book their jabs via the NHS App or at GPs, pharmacies, and walk-in centres.
Additionally, those who prefer not to wait can pay to get jabbed on their own dime privately.