BBC Breakfast’s Dr Helen Wall highlighted what people need to know about XEC Covid (Image: BBC)
With the chill of winter upon us, Dr Helen Wall has been sharing vital information about the emerging strain, which could soon become the most dominant yet.
The Breakfast doc expressed concern that XEC is “really wiping people out” and noted that its symptoms are increasingly resembling those of common illnesses like flu and colds, making it harder to identify.
Speaking to , the Greater Manchester doctor discussed how the new variant is affecting her practice and highlighted some key warning signs that the public should be aware of.
As respiratory illnesses typically increase during this season, Dr Wall pointed out that XEC is becoming more widespread, although it’s not yet clear if this is due to higher transmissibility.
She explained: “I suspect more because they always are. But we don’t know what the situation is. At the moment, it seems to be a bit more flu-like than previous iterations of , with a high temperature, a cough, aching body, headache.”
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She added an important distinction between flu and : “Generally, if you’ve got true flu, you’re bed-bound. With , you might actually be quite well.
“You might be coughing and having other symptoms, but able to go about your business – and you might be unintentionally spreading it to people who are vulnerable.”
A new variant, XEC, is causing a stir among health experts as it combines two existing strains and has genetic ties to Omicron. Researchers believe it could become the most dominant strain globally due to its “growth advantage”.
Dr Wall has observed an uptick in flu-like cases, which may be attributed to this variant. However, with less widespread testing, tracking its spread is challenging.
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Dr Wall pointed out: “We only know for sure about the cases that we see in hospitals, involving the sickest people, because that’s where most of the testing is happening.”
With the NHS bracing for a “tripledemic” winter, Dr Wall is urging eligible individuals to get vaccinated against RSV, , and flu, especially in Greater Manchester where uptake has fallen.
She cautioned: “If you’ve been deemed eligible for these vaccines, it’s because we think you’re going to be very ill if you get these and end up in hospital. It’s about keeping that in perspective, you don’t want to look back and wish you’d had the jabs.”