A new COVID-19 variant, XEC, has arrived just before fall. The new variant has sprouted from the omicron variant that developed in late 2021. Although XEC is new, Francois Balloux, director of the Genetics Institute at University College London, told the BBC that he would be surprised if it became the dominant variant throughout winter.

The side effects of newly discovered COVID strain XEC might not be more severe, but appears to be more contagious, epidemiologist Joëlla W. Adams said

A new variant of Covid-19 is on the rise, according to scientists. The XEC strain started in Europe but has now spread across the globe, with research suggesting it is transmitted more easily than previous types.