What's happened
As COVID-19 hospital admissions increase in the UK, experts express concern over the emerging XEC variant, expected to dominate in the coming months. Immunologists warn of reduced immunity and the potential for widespread infection, urging for enhanced vaccination efforts and public health measures.
Why it matters
What the papers say
According to The Guardian, Prof. Danny Altmann described the current public attitude towards COVID-19 as a 'capitulation,' noting that many are far removed from their last vaccine dose. He highlighted the significant burden of long COVID, affecting around 400 million people globally. The Independent reported that the XEC variant is likely to spread rapidly due to reduced levels of protective antibodies in the population. Immunologist Prof. Sheena Cruickshank emphasized the importance of preventative measures, including good ventilation and track and trace systems, to mitigate the risk of future restrictions. Eric Topol from Scripps Research noted that XEC is gaining traction and could soon dominate COVID-19 cases, stressing the need for ongoing monitoring and vaccination.
How we got here
The XEC variant, a sublineage of Omicron, was first detected in Berlin in June 2024 and has since spread across Europe and North America. Experts predict it will become the dominant strain due to mutations that may enhance its transmissibility.
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.