New COVID-19 XEC variant circulating just before fall. Here’s what to know about it

By Tribune News Service and Miriam Fauzia

A new COVID variant, XEC, has arrived just before fall.

The new variant has sprouted from the omicron variant that was first identified in late 2021. It’s possible that XEC may “become the dominant subvariant over the winter,” Francois Balloux, director of the Genetics Institute at University College London, told the BBC.

Dallas County experienced a rise in COVID-19 cases earlier this summer, and reported 63 positive COVID-19 cases daily on a seven-day rolling average last week, according to the Dallas County Health and Human Services website, which was last updated Sept. 13. That number doesn’t tell the full story, however, because the government stopped requiring providers to report test results for COVID-19 in March. Reporting cases is now voluntary, and most home tests go unreported.

Centers for Disease Control researchers indicate that the vaccine and booster shots should protect against the new variant. Here is what we know about the XEC variant and what you can do to stay healthy.

What we know about XEC COVID variant

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has yet to list this variant under its variants and genomic surveillance list.XEC is a hybrid variant descended from two omicron subvariants, KS.1.1 and KP.3.3, according to Scripps Research’s Outbreak.info. It may be more transmissible and evasive than previous variants because of mutations in its spike protein, which the virus uses to enter and infect our cells.

It’s unclear if symptoms will be more severe compared to past strains, but it’s likely they may be similar to infection fromother omicron variants, Andrew Pekosz, a professor in molecular microbiology and immunology at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, told AARP this month.

According to the BBC and AARP, the symptoms mirror cold-like feelings:

• A high temperature
• Aches
• Tiredness
• A cough or sore throat
• Diarrhea
• Nausea or vomiting
• Fever or chills
• Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing

And as far as we know, you should not be in contact with anyone if your symptoms are noticeable.

The CDC says that anyone who has tested positive or is symptomatic with any respiratory virus, including COVID-19, can resume normal activities “when, for at least 24 hours, symptoms are improving overall, and if a fever was present, it has been gone without use of a fever-reducing medication.” Precaution should still be taken over the next five days when around other people indoors, with additional steps including ensuring clean air quality, hygiene, masking, physical distancing and testing.

How to protect against COVID and its variants

CDC health professionals advise those six months and older to get vaccinated to help fight off COVID and the strains that come from it.

For those who are healthy and want to prevent any respiratory illness, Dallas County Health and Human Services suggests doing the following:

• Get vaccinated and make sure you’re up to date on all recommended doses and boosters, including your flu shot.
• When there’s a high risk of exposure, mask and practice physical distancing.
• Wash your hands often with soap and water.
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
• Consider rapid testing before group gatherings.

If you tested positive for COVID, the CDC suggests the following treatments to fight it off:

• Most people with COVID-19 have mild illness and can recover at home. You can treat symptoms with over-the-counter medicines, such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen, to help feel better.
• Adults, children ages 12 years and older can visit their primary care doctor: antiviral medication Nirmatrelvir with Ritonavir (Paxlovid). Start as soon as possible; must begin within five days of when symptoms start.
• Adults and children can visit their PCP: antiviral medication Veklury (remdesivir). Start as soon as possible; must begin within seven days of when symptoms start.
• Adults who visit their PCP: antiviral medication Molnupiravir (Lagevrio). Start as soon as possible; must begin within five days of when symptoms start.