A new variant of Covid-19 is making its way across the globe, with researchers noting that it appears to transmit faster than previous strains.

Anecdotal reports are emerging in large numbers of people experiencing symptoms akin to Covid, with some opting for tests and receiving positive results.

Following the cessation of widespread testing initiatives and the associated costs of purchasing lateral flow kits, testing rates have significantly dropped. This decrease has resulted in a lack of public awareness regarding the precise number of active cases and the speed at which the latest variants are spreading; up-to-date information can be found on the PHA website.

However, as we move into the winter flu and cold season, and children return to school, numerous individuals are reporting suspicious symptoms and subsequent positive Covid tests. This increase coincides with the detection of the new XEC variant in 27 countries spanning Europe, Asia, and North America.

Despite only being identified three weeks ago, the XEC variant now accounts for 13 per cent of cases in Germany, while over 80 cases have been reported in the UK, reports the Irish Mirror.

What is the Covid XEC variant?

XEC is categorised as a recombinant variant by scientists, a classification given when two existing strains merge. This can occur if an individual contracts both strains at the same time.

XEC is a combination of the KP. 3.3 and KS.

1.1 strains, with genetic ties to omicron - a variant first identified in South Africa in 2021, known for its high transmission rate and less severe symptoms compared to previous SARS-CoV-2 strains.

Richard Orton, a Bioinformatics Research Associate at the University of Glasgow, expressed his concerns about the rapid spread of XEC to The Conversation media outlet: "XEC appears to have a growth advantage and is spreading faster than other circulating variants, suggesting it will become the dominant variant globally in the next few months."

He further commented: "This new variant will probably be similar to other Covid variants in terms of the disease caused, given its similar genetic information. So symptoms such as a high temperature, sore throat with a cough, headaches and body aches along with tiredness are to be expected."

The Manchester Evening News has been in conversation with several individuals who have recently tested positive for Covid-19. Hannah, from Levenshulme, shared her experience: "I tested positive in July, I think around the fourth or fifth time I've tested positive for Covid, I've had it a lot,".

"I was surprised because I last had it in mid-December and then tested positive again at the beginning of July. I didn't expect to get it again so soon. Now when you get a cold, you think 'is this Covid?' But I think you could tell from the distinctive cough and feeling in your chest. I just knew it was Covid and put off testing for a few days, but then I did and it was positive, and I wasn't entirely surprised."

Hannah described her early symptoms, noting: "I started feeling quite tired and like I was getting ill, but I couldn't tell if it was just the result of a few late nights. I just felt really, really tired and didn't have an appetite. Two days later, I started with a cough."

At 39 years old, she noticed that the symptoms were less intense than what she had experienced with previous strains of the virus, though recovery still took several days.

"This time, I found the symptoms were most mild," she remarked. "When I had Covid in December I was in bed for a couple of days. This time, I was up and about. I felt a bit rough but it didn't completely knock me out like it has in the past.

"I didn't test every day because you have to pay for the tests and I didn't have that many. It didn't last as long and it wasn't as severe, but you could definitely tell it was Covid not just a cold. When I had it in December though, it took 10 or 11 days to test negative. Whereas this was maybe around five or six.

"It was the mildest strain that I've had, I still felt quite rough but when I had it the last time I had to take a couple of days off work because I felt I couldn't concentrate, I felt awful, it hurt to look at a screen. This time, I didn't take any time off."

A 28 year old woman from Manchester shared her suspicion of contracting Covid-19 towards the end of August following a music festival in London.

She experienced intense cold-like symptoms for about three days.

"A few days in, a wave of tiredness took over for around a day, and all I could do was nap on my sofa. That felt very similar to when I'd been ill during the omicron wave in summer of 2022," she recounted.

She continued, "I didn't have any Covid tests in the house and felt too ill to go outside. I knew that I wanted to stay at home and not pass whatever illness I had to anyone else, so thought it didn't make much difference if I confirmed whether it was Covid or not, seeing as I'd be isolating anyway. And I'd have to go to a busy shop, which would only put those people inside at risk. But it took around another few days for the symptoms, particularly the exhaustion, to pass."

Ste, hailing from Prestwich, made the decision to get tested after discovering a friend he had recently been in contact with tested positive for Covid.

"This was the third occasion that I've had Covid - as far as I know at least," he shared. "I probably wouldn't have realised I had it this time if it wasn't for a friend who had tested positive, because they still need to test for their job. I had noticed a bit of a sore throat which didn't last long, but the main issue was a runny nose and frequently sneezing. It felt very similar to hay-fever.

"The symptoms were the least severe of any time I had Covid. I thought I may have caught a bit of a chill after a boozy and unseasonably cool August bank holiday at Manchester Pride, and hadn't thought much else of it. It was nothing at all like the first time I had it in November 2020, before the jab, when I lost my sense of taste and felt shattered for a time even after I'd shifted the virus."

Main XEC Covid variant symptoms

The primary symptoms associated with the XEC Covid variant, along with other variants, are akin to those you'd get from typical colds or flu. Most individuals recover within a few weeks, but some take longer, and there's a risk of more serious illness leading to hospitalisation, according to the NHS.

As we've seen over the past couple of years, certain Covid strains have been more troublesome than others. To gauge the severity of the XEC variant, health experts suggest we might need to hold tight for a few more weeks or months for a clearer picture on how intense the symptoms can be, as per scientists' advice.

Forecasts suggest an uptick in Covid-related hospitalisations across the UK as we approach the colder months. Meanwhile, Irish health authorities are prepping for the rollout of autumn-winter booster doses, amid expectations that the XEC variant will soon take the lead in virus prevalence.

Dr Gayatri Amirthalingam of the UK Health Security Agency, serving as Deputy Director, commented on the situation: "It is normal and expected for viruses to genetically change over time. UKHSA continues to monitor all available information relating to emerging Covid variants in the UK and internationally, and to publish our data regularly. Vaccination provides the best protection against serious illness from COVID-19, and we urge those who are contacted by the NHS to come forward to receive their autumn vaccine."

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