XEC Covid strain warning as symptoms can appear in specific order

A caller survey has revealed the bid of Covid-19 XEC symptoms that could assistance differentiate the caller variant from different illnesses with akin symptoms similar the flu

Experts are informing radical to ticker for the symptoms of a Covid variant arsenic cases of the XEC strain rise. And determination is 1 cardinal signifier - the symptoms tin look successful a definite order.

A University of Southern California survey has revealed the bid successful which Covid-19 symptoms typically emerge, perchance helping to abstracted the caller Covid variant from different seasonal illnesses. The grounds bid for the XEC variant is listed arsenic fever first, followed by cough, sore throat, musculus symptom oregon headache, past nausea oregon vomiting, ending with diarrhea.

Healthline experts person advised that individuals who announcement this circumstantial grounds progression should question a Covid-19 trial and isolate. Dr Robert Glatter besides pointed retired a cardinal quality with the flu, saying: "Patients with seasonal flu much commonly developed a cough earlier the onset of fever."

Understanding wherever you mightiness beryllium successful the series of symptoms could assistance a aesculapian professional. Dr Joseph Larsen, the pb survey author, highlighted: "Knowing that each unwellness progresses otherwise means that doctors tin place sooner whether idiosyncratic apt has COVID-19, oregon different illness, which tin assistance them marque amended attraction decisions."

The caller XEC Covid strain is successful different ways akin to erstwhile variants, being a mishmash of omicron subvariants. Dr Monica Gandhi, MD, MPH, a prof of medicine astatine the University of California, said: "The symptoms look to beryllium the aforesaid arsenic with different caller subvariants of Omicron."

She besides pointed retired that definite groups, including those who are immunocompromised, older, oregon not immune, mightiness acquisition an further symptom. The wellness adept cautioned that these individuals could look much terrible little respiratory tract symptoms, perchance starring to antithetic illnesses specified arsenic pneumonia.

Last week, officials said Covid-19 infirmary admissions successful England were continuing to rise, but remained astatine debased levels. It came arsenic wellness experts encouraged eligible radical to get vaccinated.

The admittance complaint for patients investigating affirmative for Covid stood astatine 4.5 per 100,000 radical successful the week to October 6. That was a emergence from 3.7 a week earlier and the 4th play emergence successful a row, according to the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA).

Twelve months earlier, admissions stood astatine the higher complaint of 6.2 per 100,000 people. They past fell earlier peaking astatine 5.2 implicit Christmas.

To enactment things successful perspective, during the archetypal wintertime of the pandemic successful 2020/21, rates climbed arsenic precocious astatine 36.5 per 100,000. Dr Jamie Lopez Bernal, UKHSA advisor epidemiologist, said connected October 10: “Covid-19 is continuing to circulate, with a flimsy summation successful hospitalisations implicit the past 2 weeks. As wintertime approaches, we expect flu and RSV to progressively circulate too, truthful if you’re eligible to get vaccinated against the 3 main wintertime threats – Covid-19, flu and RSV – present is the clip to instrumentality them up and get wintertime strong.

“We recognize radical whitethorn beryllium acrophobic astir caller variants. Our surveillance shows that wherever Covid cases are sequenced, astir 1 successful 10 are the ‘XEC’ lineage. Current accusation doesn’t suggest we should beryllium much acrophobic astir this variant, but we are monitoring this closely.

“The astir important happening to bash is to get your vaccination arsenic soon arsenic imaginable if you’re eligible.”