Experts say the newly discovered COVID-19 strain, XEC, may have less severe side effects but is one of the more contagious variants.
of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) XEC is defined as a recombinant or hybrid strain of the Omicron family strains KS.1.1 and KP.3.3, which became the predominant strain in the United States in late December 2022.
The variant first emerged in Berlin in late June and has now reported hundreds of cases. Germany, France, Denmark, NetherlandsAccording to a report by Australia-based data integration expert Mike Honey.
Joella W. Adams, an epidemiologist at RTI International, said XEC has also been reported in at least 25 states in the United States, but the number could be higher because not all positive tests involve genetic testing.
