What's happened
As the XEC variant of Covid-19 spreads, experts express concern over rising hospital admissions and declining immunity. The variant, first detected in Germany, is expected to become dominant in the UK and Europe, prompting calls for increased vaccination efforts and better public health measures.
Why it matters
What the papers say
According to The Guardian, Prof. Danny Altmann described the current attitude towards Covid as a 'capitulation,' noting that many are months or years from their last vaccine dose. The Independent highlights that the XEC variant could spread rapidly due to reduced levels of protective antibodies in the population. Eric Topol, in a post on X, stated that XEC is 'definitely taking charge,' indicating its potential to become the dominant strain. Experts stress the importance of vaccination and public health measures to prevent further outbreaks, as noted by both The Independent and SBS.
How we got here
The emergence of the XEC variant follows a period of declining Covid-19 vigilance, despite rising hospital admissions in the UK. Experts warn that many individuals are far from their last vaccine doses, leading to reduced immunity against this new strain.
More on these topics
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The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. It was first identified in December 2019 in Wuhan, China.
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Eric Jeffrey Topol is an American cardiologist, scientist, and author. He is the Founder and Director of the Scripps Research Translational Institute, a Professor of Molecular Medicine at The Scripps Research Institute, and a Senior Consultant at the Divi
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Berlin is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3,769,495 inhabitants make it the most populous city proper of the European Union. The city is one of Germany's 16 federal states.