A new, extremely infectious Covid-19 type is being “monitored,” according to the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), reports The Mirror.
About one in ten instances of the virus in the UK are believed to be caused by the new XEC strain.
According to Gloucestershire Live, the strain was initially identified in Germany and has now spread to 27 countries in Europe, Asia, and North America, with over 600 cases reported worldwide, reports The Mirror.
Because of the many changes it has, the highly transmissible strain is believed to be extremely contagious, and specialists predict that it may eventually become the dominant variant.
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The health department also advised individuals to get their winter booster shot, warning that hospitalisations in the UK had slightly increased in recent weeks owing to COVID-19, reports The Mirror.
People 60 years of age and older, healthcare professionals, pregnant women, and those with chronic illnesses are encouraged to get vaccinated against the flu and COVID-19 as part of the HSE’s winter vaccination campaign.
Doctor Jamie Lopez Bernal, consultant epidemiologist at the UKHSA, said: “Covid-19 is continuing to circulate, with a slight increase in hospitalisations over the past two weeks. As winter approaches, we expect flu and RSV to increasingly circulate too, so if you’re eligible to get vaccinated against the three main winter threats – Covid-19, flu and RSV – now is the time to take them up and get winter strong. We understand people may be concerned about new variants. Our surveillance shows that where Covid cases are sequenced, around one in 10 are the ‘XEC’ lineage. Current information doesn’t suggest we should be more concerned about this variant but we are monitoring this closely. The most important thing to do is to get your vaccination as soon as possible if you’re eligible,” reports The Mirror.
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