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Called XEC, the offshoot of the Omicron strain was initially identified in Germany early this past summer before quickly spreading throughout Europe.
It is not causing more serious symptoms than other COVID strains, but it is causing concern.
“The rate of infections from XEC they're seeing in some countries rose pretty quickly compared to previous variants in those same places," Dr. Scott Roberts, a Yale Medicine infectious diseases specialist said in YaleMedicine.
Symptoms of XEC are similar to Omicron and its subvariants, and include congestion, running nose, cough, shortness of breath, and fever or chills.
XEC now makes up 6 percent of cases in the US, according to the latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). That's fifth highest among all subvariants.
KP.3.1.1 remains most common in the United States, accounting for about 59 percent of cases, up from 42 percent at the end of August.
The new COVID booster vaccines, which became available at the start of September, have been updated with a formula to target currently circulating variants more effectively. This includes KP.3.1.1 and other KP subvariants.
However, it's important to note that the latest booster does not specifically target the XEC subvariant.
Nonetheless, health experts believe that the booster should still provide protection against XEC, since it is part of the Omicron family.
This continues to be a developing story. Check back to Daily Voice for updates.
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