A new and contagious COVID variant known as XEC, which has been spreading rapidly in other countries over the last few months, has reportedly made its way to Chicago.

New COVID strain XEC is a recombinant strain of two variants in the Omicron family: KS.1.1 and KP.3.3. The hybrid strain was first reported in Berlin in late June but has spread across Europe, North America and Asia, with Germany, France, the Netherlands and Denmark leading the charge.

XEC is the latest COVID-19 variant spreading in the U.S.The World Health Organization is monitoring the latest variant. Doctors expect that it will continue to spread—here’s what to do.Cases of COVID-19 have dipped slightly in the U.

XEC is on track to become the new dominant COVID-19 strain this winter. Yale and New Haven experts weigh in on why you should still get the new vaccine even though it may be less effective at neutralization because it is a recombinant variant.

Covid hospitalisations have surged across Britain at an “alarming” rate as a new variant of the virus emerged, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has warned. UKHSA figures showed the admission rate for patients testing positive for Covid XEC stood at 4.5 per 100,000 people in the week to October 6 – up from 3.7 a week earlier.

A new study from the University of Southern California has also found the order in which symptoms of the new XEC variant occurs. In a report, doctors say the order of symptoms for XEC is fever, cough, sore throat, muscle pain or headache, nausea or vomiting and diarrhoea

A doctor has revealed when it is best to get your Covid booster jab this year to ensure you are best protected against the illness over the holidays. Yale Medicine infectious diseases specialist Doctor Scott Roberts, said that the vaccine is still the best method of prevention for Covid, even as new strains emerge.

Here is what is known about the new Covid XEC variant from cases in the UK, symptoms, what the World Health Organisation has said and more.