POLL: Are you worried about the new Covid strain? Vote now

A new Covid variant — XEC — was first identified in Germany in the summer and has since spread through Europe and into the UK.

While symptoms of XEC appear in line with the expected Covid symptoms — temperature, body aches, a cough, fatigue — experts have said that this new variant is likely to take over as the predominant strain in Britain in a matter of months.

Eric Topol, director of the Scripps Research Translational Institute in La Jolla, said in a post on X in September: "At this juncture, the XEC variant appears to be the most likely one to get legs next."

He said it was "definitely taking charge" as the next variant set to dominate public health.

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While authorities are not ringing any alarm bells, there does appear to be a "transmission advantage" over other variants, according to Professor Francois Balloux, Director of the Genetics Institute at University College London.

He told the BBC that while it is possible XEC could become the dominant subvariant of Covid over the 2024/25 winter, the current vaccine programme is expected to offer good protection to the public.

While routine testing is far less common now than at the height of the pandemic, the Reach Data Unit has identified hotspots around the UK using reporting data.

It found that Carlisle in Cumbria had the highest rates, with 10.88 cases for every 100,000 people in the area.

So are you concerned about the XEC Covid variant? Scroll up to vote in our poll and have your say in the comments below.