New Covid XEC strain ‘just getting started and will dominate in months’

Experts are sounding the alarm about a new Covid variant, XEC, which is poised to become more dominant as colder weather approaches. In some states, temperature are epected to soar ths fall. First detected in Germany this past June, the variant has since spread to 15 countries across three continents.
Medical professionals are characterizing XEC as a “stronger” variant that is “taking charge.” According to a new study, going vegan could decrease the risk of Covid-19. 
Speaking to the LA Times, Eric Topol, director of the Scripps Research Translational Institute in California, remarked: “And that’s going to take many weeks, a couple months, before it really takes hold and starts to cause a wave. XEC is definitely taking charge. That does appear to be the next variant. But it’s months off from getting into high levels,” reports the Irish Star. 
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Dr Elizabeth Hudson, regional chief of infectious diseases at Kaiser Permanente Southern California, noted that experts will keep an eye on the new strain in the upcoming months.
Despite the emergence of XEC, she believes that the new vaccines will offer some defense against the latest variant “because there is some overlap, because these are all sub, sub, sub-grandchildren of the original Omicron.”
“We’re not like in a new Greek letter – they’re not that much different; it’s not like something completely new,” says Dr Hudson.
“We’ll really have to watch – because the overall info on it is not super robust now – but I would imagine over the next couple of weeks, particularly if it starts to creep up higher and higher, we will be hearing a little bit more about it.”
She further emphasized the need to keep an eye on the situation in the US and Europe as “they get towards their colder seasons.”
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The emerging strain, which is a combination of the KS 1.1 and KP 3.3 variants, could cause symptoms akin to flu and cold such as a high fever, persistent cough, and a loss of appetite.
The NHS lists the following as Covid-19 symptoms: