That would mean the usual COVID symptoms listed by the NHS - including a high temperature or shivering, a new, continuous cough and a loss or change to sense of smell or taste - would still apply. Other symptoms include shortness of breath, feeling tired or exhausted, an aching body and a headache.

The new XEC variant is spreading so fast it looks set to become the UK’s dominant Covid strain this week, fuelling the current wave of the virus, experts predict.

A new highly transmissible COVID-19 strain that first appeared in Europe is now beginning to spread in the United States. Called XEC, the offshoot of the Omicron strain was initially identified in Germany early this past summer before quickly spreading throughout Europe.

In today’s health headlines, what to know about the new COVID XEC strain, an ebola-like virus is spreading in Rwanda, and a message for parents about childhood vaccine exemptions. Dr. Onyema Ogbuagu,

But so far, the two main symptoms are fever and body aches, according to her and Dr. Nikhil Bhayani, MD, assistant professor at Burnett School of Medicine at TCU and an infectious disease physician. Dr. Vivekanadan says cough and respiratory symptoms are also major at the moment.

While XEC is not dominant in the United States, it could take hold by the late fall and winter, one health expert said in a newspaper interview.

The latest global coronavirus mutation is swiftly spreading in Europe. Will it drive a wave of illness in the U.S.? And do vaccines offer protection?

As cold and flu season approaches, the situation is becoming more complex with the recent emergence of the new COVID-19 variant, XEC. COVID-19 and knowledge of its exact properties have evolved quite a bit,