The newly identified Covid XEC variant has spread rapidly across the UK, leading to heightened alarm as the nation grapples with a rise in infections. With the spike in cases, experts are deliberating over both preventive measures and strategies to dampen the risks of XEC.
In a candid interview with The i, Professor Steve Griffin from Leeds University pointed out the potential strategies to curb the tide of Covid waves, suggesting: “We can either increase our immunity by making better vaccines or increasing our vaccine coverage, or we can slow the virus down with interventions, such as improving indoor air quality. But we’re not doing those things.”
He alerted the public to the reality that, although Covid-19 isn’t as terrifying as it was at the onset four years ago, it still presents significant challenges. Professor Griffin explained the rapid evolution of the virus as a persistent difficulty, stating: “The problem with Covid is that it evolves so quickly.
“Its evolutionary rate is something like three or four times faster than that of the fastest seasonal flu. So you’ve got this constant change in the virus, which accelerates the number of susceptible people.”
“It’s creating its own new pool of susceptibles every time it changes to something that’s ‘immune evasive’.
“Every one of these subvariants is distinct enough that a whole swathe of people are no longer immune to it and it can infect them. That’s why you see this constant undulatory pattern which doesn’t look seasonal at all.”
While the battle against Covid-19 rages on, attention is increasingly turning to the identification of symptoms associated with emerging variants, such as the troublesome XEC.
Pioneering research by the University of Southern California has charted a distinct progression of symptoms for those infected with XEC, beginning with a fever, then cough and sore throat, followed by muscle pain or headache and, ultimately, nausea or vomiting and diarrhoea.
The study’s lead author, Joseph Larsen, highlighted the breakthrough, remarking: “Knowing that each illness progresses differently means that doctors can identify sooner whether someone likely has COVID-19, or another illness, which can help them make better treatment decisions.”