Covid-XEC variant: What are the symptoms of a new virus strain?

A new strain of Covid emerging in the UK is spreading as cases soar, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said.

The strain, referred to as XEC, is a combination of the KS.1.1 and KP.3.3 variants. UKHSA figures show the admission rate of patients testing positive for all strains rose to 4.5 per 100,000 people in the week ending October 6. This is up from 3.7 a week earlier.

The XEC strain is believed to be more transmissible due to its numerous mutations and has similar symptoms to other Covid variants, including fatigue, headaches, sore throats and high temperatures.

Dr. Jamie Lopez Bernal, consultant epidemiologist at UKHSA, said: “Our current surveillance shows that around 13 per cent of sequenced COVID-19 cases belong to the 'XEC' lineage. However, current information does not suggest that we should be more concerned about this variant. “We are monitoring this closely and vaccination continues to provide the best protection.”

Although self-isolation is no longer a legal requirement in the UK, the NHS has advised anyone who tests positive for Covid to avoid contact with others for at least five days.

It is also recommended to avoid contact with more vulnerable people for 10 days to reduce the risk to them. In general, anyone experiencing symptoms is advised to at least wait for them to subside before returning to normal activities.

Here's what you need to know about the new Covid-XEC strain:

What are Covid-XEC symptoms?

The XEC strain shows similar cold and flu-like symptoms as previous variants.

This includes:

How to get vaccinated

The NHS has started offering autumn Covid boosters to those most at risk. The following groups can receive an NHS Covid booster vaccination between October 3rd and December 20th:

Those who qualify for the vaccination can also book their own appointments via the NHS app, externally, at GPs, pharmacies, drop-in clinics, externally or by calling 119, externally.