Australia records first case of new super-contagious COVID-19 strain XEC
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As we navigate through the ever-changing landscape of the COVID-19 pandemic, Australians have been faced with yet another challenge: the emergence of a new COVID-19 strain known as XEC.
This variant has been making headlines as it spreads across Europe and has now reached Australian shores, with the first cases being reported.
It's a development that has raised concerns among the public and health officials alike, as we ponder the potential implications for our health and daily lives.
The XEC strain is a ‘recombinant’ variant, which means it has emerged from a combination of two previous Omicron subvariants, specifically KS 1.1 and KP 3.3.
This process occurs when an individual is infected with two different virus strains simultaneously, allowing them to combine and form a new variant.
According to the global health data platform GISAID, the XEC variant was first identified in Germany and has since been reported in 29 countries, including Brazil, Canada, China, France, Spain and Japan.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has classified XEC as a variant under monitoring, which means it's on the radar of health authorities who are investigating its potential impact on global public health.
The University of Queensland's Infectious Diseases Physician, Dr Paul Griffin, has indicated that XEC could become the dominant strain by the end of October.
‘It is seeming to grow fairly quickly,’ he remarked.
‘It's got a significant growth advantage in a number of countries around the world, including our own at the moment, so it does seem to be able to out-compete some of the existing sub-variants.’
As of September 23, Australia had recorded 23 known cases of XEC COVID-19 infections, as per the Department of Health's Australian Respiratory Surveillance Report.
Dr Griffin mentioned that the XEC strain accounts for approximately 5 to 10 per cent of COVID-19 cases in Australia and suggested that the strain may have reached the country earlier than the data indicates.
According to the National Notifiable Disease Surveillance Dashboard, Australia has recorded 12,037,101 cases of COVID-19 as of October 7, 2024, since the pandemic began.
However, Dr Griffin noted that case numbers do not accurately reflect the severity or transmissibility of the XEC variant, as fewer people are getting tested.
‘The main things we monitor [for]…is things like cases and outbreaks in aged care, and hospitalisations, intensive care and death,’ he said.
‘To date, we haven't seen any rise in any of those.’
The XEC variant, like other COVID-19 strains, is transmitted through respiratory droplets or small airborne particles.
The symptoms are consistent with those of other strains, including fever, coughing, sore throat, and shortness of breath.
While some individuals may be asymptomatic, the disease can pose serious risks to older adults, those with underlying health conditions, and pregnant individuals.
‘At this stage, there's nothing to indicate that it's going to cause any different kind of symptoms or presentations than what we've seen with the other similar sub-variants,’ Dr Griffin explained.
‘People can have very different presentations…it's one of those things that can cause such a variable illness in so many different people depending on their level of past exposure and immunity and what other conditions they might have.’
The Department of Health continues to recommend wearing face masks, practising good hygiene, and maintaining physical distancing as effective measures to prevent contracting the virus.
Vaccinations remain a crucial defence against severe illness, and Australians are encouraged to stay up-to-date with their COVID-19 vaccinations.
The merger of the KS 1.1 and KP 3.3 variants has resulted in changes to the virus's spike protein, which is believed to increase transmissibility.
However, it's still too early to fully understand the characteristics of XEC, as scientists are diligently studying the virus's sequence.
‘At the moment, this is a combination of two very significant sub-variants…that's why we've got a change in the spike protein and the growth advantage that we see,’ Dr Griffin explained.
Dr Griffin advised that although more COVID-19 variants are likely to emerge, people should remain vigilant and not become complacent.
‘These changes are truly random. One of these sub-variants could, just by sheer chance, become more virulent, cause more severe disease or gain other properties like evading our testing or anti-virals,’ he said.
‘That's why we do need a level of vigilance to continue, so we do keep monitoring, we do keep assessing, and we do keep responding, and that's really why we can't get complacent.’
He states that it is uncertain if the variant will lead to a ‘summer wave’ of infections similar to Omicron.
‘It certainly has the hallmarks of something that could lead to a significant wave but we could also get a new sub-variant any day or any time into the future from here that could account for that,’ Dr Griffin continued.
Dr Griffin explained that changes in the virus can result in immune evasion, making immunity from past infections or vaccinations somewhat less effective against the mutated virus.
He added that an updated JN.1 COVID-19 vaccine, currently under review by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA), will offer good coverage against the new strain since it is a ‘closely related’ sub-variant.
‘We still anticipate those vaccines to be highly effective, and the biggest determinant of how well they're going to work is how many people get them,’ Dr Griffin continued.
‘The JN.1 boosters that hopefully we'll have soon will be really important for protection in our country and we want really high levels of uptake.’
As Australia grapples with the rise of the XEC COVID-19 variant, questions about its potential impact and the effectiveness of current measures have become increasingly pressing.
While Dr Griffin shed light on the variant’s characteristics and the need for vigilance in Australia, the situation in Europe provides a sobering glimpse into what might lie ahead.
A shocking map reveals the rapid spread of the XEC variant across Europe, raising concerns that this strain could soon dominate.
Understanding the trajectory of XEC abroad could help Australia better prepare and respond to this emerging threat.
We at the Seniors Discount Club encourage our readers to share their thoughts and experiences with the COVID-19 pandemic, including any concerns about the new XEC variant.
Your insights are valuable, and by engaging in open dialogue, we can support each other through these uncertain times. Stay safe, stay informed, and remember that together, we can navigate this pandemic with resilience and care.
This variant has been making headlines as it spreads across Europe and has now reached Australian shores, with the first cases being reported.
It's a development that has raised concerns among the public and health officials alike, as we ponder the potential implications for our health and daily lives.
The XEC strain is a ‘recombinant’ variant, which means it has emerged from a combination of two previous Omicron subvariants, specifically KS 1.1 and KP 3.3.
This process occurs when an individual is infected with two different virus strains simultaneously, allowing them to combine and form a new variant.
According to the global health data platform GISAID, the XEC variant was first identified in Germany and has since been reported in 29 countries, including Brazil, Canada, China, France, Spain and Japan.
Australia has detected its first cases of the XEC COVID-19 variant, a recombinant strain from two Omicron subvariants. Credit: Unsplash
The World Health Organization (WHO) has classified XEC as a variant under monitoring, which means it's on the radar of health authorities who are investigating its potential impact on global public health.
The University of Queensland's Infectious Diseases Physician, Dr Paul Griffin, has indicated that XEC could become the dominant strain by the end of October.
‘It is seeming to grow fairly quickly,’ he remarked.
‘It's got a significant growth advantage in a number of countries around the world, including our own at the moment, so it does seem to be able to out-compete some of the existing sub-variants.’
As of September 23, Australia had recorded 23 known cases of XEC COVID-19 infections, as per the Department of Health's Australian Respiratory Surveillance Report.
Dr Griffin mentioned that the XEC strain accounts for approximately 5 to 10 per cent of COVID-19 cases in Australia and suggested that the strain may have reached the country earlier than the data indicates.
According to the National Notifiable Disease Surveillance Dashboard, Australia has recorded 12,037,101 cases of COVID-19 as of October 7, 2024, since the pandemic began.
However, Dr Griffin noted that case numbers do not accurately reflect the severity or transmissibility of the XEC variant, as fewer people are getting tested.
‘The main things we monitor [for]…is things like cases and outbreaks in aged care, and hospitalisations, intensive care and death,’ he said.
‘To date, we haven't seen any rise in any of those.’
The XEC variant, like other COVID-19 strains, is transmitted through respiratory droplets or small airborne particles.
The symptoms are consistent with those of other strains, including fever, coughing, sore throat, and shortness of breath.
While some individuals may be asymptomatic, the disease can pose serious risks to older adults, those with underlying health conditions, and pregnant individuals.
‘At this stage, there's nothing to indicate that it's going to cause any different kind of symptoms or presentations than what we've seen with the other similar sub-variants,’ Dr Griffin explained.
‘People can have very different presentations…it's one of those things that can cause such a variable illness in so many different people depending on their level of past exposure and immunity and what other conditions they might have.’
The Department of Health continues to recommend wearing face masks, practising good hygiene, and maintaining physical distancing as effective measures to prevent contracting the virus.
Vaccinations remain a crucial defence against severe illness, and Australians are encouraged to stay up-to-date with their COVID-19 vaccinations.
The merger of the KS 1.1 and KP 3.3 variants has resulted in changes to the virus's spike protein, which is believed to increase transmissibility.
However, it's still too early to fully understand the characteristics of XEC, as scientists are diligently studying the virus's sequence.
‘At the moment, this is a combination of two very significant sub-variants…that's why we've got a change in the spike protein and the growth advantage that we see,’ Dr Griffin explained.
Dr Griffin advised that although more COVID-19 variants are likely to emerge, people should remain vigilant and not become complacent.
‘These changes are truly random. One of these sub-variants could, just by sheer chance, become more virulent, cause more severe disease or gain other properties like evading our testing or anti-virals,’ he said.
‘That's why we do need a level of vigilance to continue, so we do keep monitoring, we do keep assessing, and we do keep responding, and that's really why we can't get complacent.’
He states that it is uncertain if the variant will lead to a ‘summer wave’ of infections similar to Omicron.
‘It certainly has the hallmarks of something that could lead to a significant wave but we could also get a new sub-variant any day or any time into the future from here that could account for that,’ Dr Griffin continued.
Dr Griffin explained that changes in the virus can result in immune evasion, making immunity from past infections or vaccinations somewhat less effective against the mutated virus.
He added that an updated JN.1 COVID-19 vaccine, currently under review by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA), will offer good coverage against the new strain since it is a ‘closely related’ sub-variant.
‘We still anticipate those vaccines to be highly effective, and the biggest determinant of how well they're going to work is how many people get them,’ Dr Griffin continued.
‘The JN.1 boosters that hopefully we'll have soon will be really important for protection in our country and we want really high levels of uptake.’
As Australia grapples with the rise of the XEC COVID-19 variant, questions about its potential impact and the effectiveness of current measures have become increasingly pressing.
While Dr Griffin shed light on the variant’s characteristics and the need for vigilance in Australia, the situation in Europe provides a sobering glimpse into what might lie ahead.
A shocking map reveals the rapid spread of the XEC variant across Europe, raising concerns that this strain could soon dominate.
Understanding the trajectory of XEC abroad could help Australia better prepare and respond to this emerging threat.
Your insights are valuable, and by engaging in open dialogue, we can support each other through these uncertain times. Stay safe, stay informed, and remember that together, we can navigate this pandemic with resilience and care.
