By McGeorge Mbare
After years of facing millions of deaths caused by coronavirus popularly referred to as COVID-19 pandemic. The world might face a new challenge as scientists have discovered that people catching a new COVID-19 variant that could soon spread globally.
According to the BBC, the new COVID-19 variant XEC was first identified in Germany but now has presence in other countries including the US, UK and Denmark.
There has been “strong growth” of XEC in Denmark and Germany, covid data analyst Mike Honey says on X.
Speaking to the LA times Director of the Scripps Research Translational Institute, in California, Eric Topol says XEC is “just getting started”. “And that’s going to take many weeks, a couple of months, before it really takes hold and starts to cause a wave”.
Expects say, the new variant has some new mutations that might help it spread this autumn although vaccination could still help to prevent severe cases, as NHS offers a free booster to shot people who affected.
Speaking to BBC news, Prof Francois Balloux, Director of the Genetics Institute at University College London, emphasized that although XEC has slightly transition advantages over other recent COVID variants, vaccines should still offer protection.
The symptoms of the new COVID variant are likely to be, high body temperature, aches, tiredness, a cough and sore throat.