#xec

[covid-safer-hotties]

Also preserved on our archive

By Joshua Boscaini

In short:

Australia has recorded its first cases of the XEC COVID-19 variant that has been spreading in Europe this year.

The mutation is a "recombinant" variant that is a mix of two previous Omicron subvariants called KS 1.1 and KP 3.3.

What's next?

An infectious disease expert says the strain has the hallmarks of something that could lead to a "summer wave" of infections.

A new highly transmissible variant of COVID-19 has been detected in Australia, raising questions about whether it will lead to a wave of COVID-19 cases over summer.

The XEC strain has been reported in 29 countries including the United States, United Kingdom and China, according to global health data platform GISAID.

Here's what we know about the XEC variant and how many cases have been reported in Australia.

What do we know about XEC?

XEC is a "recombinant" COVID-19 variant, which means it's a mix of two previous Omicron subvariants called KS 1.1 and KP 3.3.

A recombinant variant is created when someone is infected with two strains of a virus that go on reproduce and create another strain.

There are conflicting reports about where the strain originated, but most suggest it was first detected in Germany in May or June.

Cases have been reported in 29 countries, according to GISAID, including Brazil, Canada, China, France, Spain and Japan.

The World Health Organization (WHO) classified XEC as a variant under monitoring in September so health authorities could give it more attention and investigate whether it presented an additional threat to global public health.

University of Queensland infectious diseases physician Paul Griffin told the ABC that XEC could become the dominant variant by the end of October.

"It is seeming to grow fairly quickly," Dr Griffin says.

"It's got a significant growth advantage in a number of countries around the world, including our own at the moment, so it does seem to be able to out compete some of the existing sub-variants."

How many cases of XEC are in Australia?

Australia recorded 23 known XEC COVID-19 infections as of September 23, according to the Department of Health's latest Australian Respiratory Surveillance Report.

Dr Griffin says the XEC strain makes up about 5 to 10 per cent of COVID-19 cases in Australia and the strain may have arrived in the country earlier than data suggests.

The National Notifiable Disease Surveillance Dashboard reports 12,037,101 cases of COVID-19 have been detected in Australia as of October 7, 2024 since the start of the pandemic.

But Dr Griffin says case numbers aren't a good indicator of how severe or easily transmissible the XEC variant is because fewer people are getting tested.

"The main things we monitor [for] … is things like cases and outbreaks in aged care, and hospitalisations, intensive care and death," he says.

"To date we haven't see any rise in any of those."

What are the symptoms and how is it transmitted?

Just like other COVID-19 variants, XEC can be transmitted from person to person by respiratory droplets or small airborne particles when an infected person coughs, sneezes or talks.

Symptoms for the XEC variant are the same as most other COVID-19 strains and include fever, coughing, sore throat and shortness of breath.

While some people don't display any symptoms, the disease can be serious for older people, people with underlying health conditions and pregnant people, according to the Department of Health.

"At this stage there's nothing to indicate that it's going to cause any different kind of symptoms or presentations than what we've seen with the other similar sub-variants," Dr Griffin says.

"People can have very different presentations … it's one of those things that can cause such a variable illness in so many different people depending on their level of past exposure and immunity and what other conditions they might have."

The Department of Health says wearing a face mask, practising good hygiene and physical distancing can protect you from contracting the virus. Vaccinations also provide protection against severe illness.

How is XEC different from other COVID-19 variants?

Dr Griffin says the merger of the KS 1.1 and KP 3.3 variants have caused a change to the virus's spike protein, which makes the disease more transmissible.

But he says it's too early to know more about XEC's characteristics because scientists are still examining the virus's sequence.

"At the moment, this is a combination of two very significant sub-variants … that's why we've got a change in the spike protein and the growth advantage that we see."

Dr Griffin says while it's likely there will be more COVID-19 variants, people shouldn't get complacent.

"These changes are truly random. One of these sub-variants could, just by sheer chance, become more virulent, cause more severe disease or gain other properties like evading our testing or anti-virals."

"That's why we do need a level of vigilance to continue so we do keep monitoring, we do keep assessing and we do keep responding and that's really why we can't get complacent."

He says it's uncertain whether the variant will cause a "summer wave" of infections, like with Omicron.

"It certainly has the hallmarks of something that could lead to a significant wave but we could also get a new sub-variant any day or any time into the future from here that could account for that."

Do current vaccinations protect you against XEC?

Dr Griffin says changes to the virus can lead to immune evasion, which means that immunity generated from past infections or vaccination can be slightly less effective against the mutated virus.

He says an updated JN.1 COVID-19 vaccination under review by the Theraputic Goods Administration (TGA) will provide good levels of coverage against the new strain because it's a "closely related" sub-variant.

"We still anticipate those vaccines to be highly effective and the biggest determinant of how well they're going to work is how many people get them," he says.

"The JN.1 boosters that hopefully we'll have soon will be really important for protection in our country and we want really high levels of uptake."

[who-is-riley]

SKYRIM: ANNIVERSARY EDITION

Fishing in Eastmarch

[ricisidro]

The new COVID-19 strain XEC might not be as severe, but is part of the more contagious variant class, experts say.

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) defines XEC as recombinant or hybrid of the Omicron strains KS.1.1 and KP.3.3.

The XEC variant, which first appeared in Berlin in late June, has increasingly seen hundreds of cases across #Europe notably in Germany, France, Denmark and Netherlands and in Asia. It has also been reported in at least 25 U. S. states.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/health/2024/09/21/covid-xec-variant/75303152007/

[scienza-magia]

Nuova mutazione annuale per il Sars-CoV-2

Cos’è XEC, la nuova variante del Coronavirus con un sintomo insolito. La nuova variante del Sars-CoV-2 sta emergendo come una delle più trasmissibili e potrebbe diventare dominante nei prossimi mesi. La variante XEC del Sars-CoV-2 preoccupa la comunità scientifica. Identificata per la prima volta in Germania durante l’estate del 2024, XEC è un ricombinante delle varianti KS.1.1 e KP.3.3 e, secondo un team di scienziati giapponesi, ha tutte le caratteristiche per diventare la variante predominante nei prossimi mesi. Le caratteristiche di XEC Uno degli aspetti che rende XEC particolarmente preoccupante è la sua trasmissibilità, superiore rispetto alla variante attualmente dominante, KP.3.1.1. In uno studio condotto dall’Università di Tokyo, i ricercatori hanno stimato il numero di riproduzione effettiva (Re) di XEC, ovvero il numero medio di nuovi casi che una persona infetta può generare. In Paesi come gli Stati Uniti, questo valore è risultato essere 1,13 volte maggiore rispetto a KP.3.1.1, suggerendo che XEC potrebbe presto soppiantare quest’ultima. Mutazioni e immunoevasività XEC presenta due ulteriori mutazioni nella proteina Spike, elemento chiave del virus per infettare le cellule umane. Queste mutazioni sembrano conferire al virus una maggiore infettività e una capacità di evasione immunitaria superiore a quella delle varianti precedenti. Gli esperimenti condotti su pseudovirus hanno mostrato che XEC è più resistente agli anticorpi generati da infezioni precedenti con altre varianti, in particolare KP.3.3 e JN.1. Questo potrebbe spiegare perché XEC riesce a diffondersi così rapidamente nonostante l’immunità acquisita da vaccini e infezioni passate. Un quadro clinico simile, ma con un sintomo insolito Dal punto di vista clinico, XEC sembra causare sintomi simili a quelli delle varianti Omicron: febbre, mal di gola, dolori muscolari e affaticamento. Tuttavia, si sta osservando un sintomo insolito che sembra essere più frequente nei pazienti infettati da XEC: la perdita dell’appetito, spesso accompagnata da diarrea e malessere generale. Questo sintomo, raramente segnalato con le precedenti varianti, sta attirando l’attenzione dei medici, soprattutto nei Paesi dove XEC è più diffusa, come Regno Unito, Stati Uniti e Francia. La sfida per il futuro Nonostante XEC non sembri causare una malattia più grave rispetto alle varianti precedenti, la sua elevata trasmissibilità rappresenta una sfida significativa, soprattutto con l’avvicinarsi dell’inverno e la concomitante circolazione di altri virus respiratori.  Le autorità sanitarie prevedono un incremento dei casi, e si raccomanda la vaccinazione con i vaccini aggiornati, che offrono una buona protezione contro XEC. In Italia, la variante è in crescita, come evidenziato dagli ultimi dati del Ministero della Salute, che segnalano un aumento della sua presenza nel contesto nazionale. Le prossime settimane saranno decisive per capire se XEC diventerà davvero la variante predominante a livello globale. Read the full article

[news-buzz]

Professor warns Covid XEC will continue to spread unless three things happen News Buzz

The newly identified Covid XEC variant has spread rapidly across the UK, leading to heightened alarm as the nation grapples with a rise in infections. With the spike in cases, experts are deliberating over both preventive measures and strategies to dampen the risks of XEC. In a candid interview with The i, Professor Steve Griffin from Leeds University pointed out the potential strategies to curb…

[prolife-home-care]

XEC Covid Variant: Symptoms, Spread, and How to Stay Protected This Winter

A new coronavirus variant, XEC, is rapidly spreading and could soon become the dominant strain this winter, according to scientists. First identified in Germany in June, XEC has since been reported in the UK, the US, Denmark, and other countries. Experts are now monitoring its growth closely, anticipating its potential impact during the colder months.

What Is the XEC Covid Variant?

XEC is a recombinant variant that combines characteristics of two previous Omicron subvariants: KS.1.1 and KP.3.3. These parent strains have contributed to recent Covid waves across the globe. KS.1.1, known as one of the "FLiRT variants," and KP.3.3, a part of the "FLuQE" family, exhibit unique mutations in the spike protein, giving XEC an edge in transmission.

Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, an infectious disease specialist at UCSF, notes that XEC possesses "tighter binding cells," potentially making it more transmissible and possibly more immune-evasive than earlier variants. While XEC may not cause a significant spike in hospitalizations or deaths, its enhanced ability to spread has scientists on alert.

How Does XEC Differ from Previous Variants?

XEC has unusual mutations, such as the T22N mutation and additional changes in the spike protein. These differences could provide it with a slight transmission advantage over other Covid variants circulating this fall. However, because XEC belongs to the Omicron lineage, its symptoms and overall severity are expected to be similar to those of previous Omicron strains.

Current Statistics on XEC and Covid-19 Spread

While specific case numbers for the XEC variant are limited, global health authorities continue to monitor its spread along with other Covid-19 variants. The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that globally, during the four-week period from June 24 to July 21, 2024, new Covid-19 cases increased by 30% and deaths by 26% compared to the previous 28-day period, with over 186,000 new cases reported across 96 countries​(World Health Organization (WHO). This surge indicates that new variants like XEC may be contributing to the recent increase in cases.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the United States provides regular updates on Covid-19 trends, including hospitalizations, emergency department visits, and test positivity rates. However, specific data on the XEC variant's prevalence in the U.S. is not yet available​(CDC COVID-19 Data Tracker). Monitoring the overall Covid-19 trends is crucial as new variants emerge, especially as the XEC variant is believed to have a transmission advantage.

The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) actively tracks and classifies SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern and interest. Detailed data on the spread of various variants, including XEC, across the EU/EEA, is regularly published, although specific numbers on XEC’s prevalence are still being analyzed​.

Symptoms of XEC Covid

The symptoms of the XEC variant are similar to those of previous Omicron variants. These include:

High temperature or fever

Cough and sore throat

Fatigue and body aches

Loss of smell and appetite

Congestion and runny nose

Nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea in some cases

Most people recover within a few weeks, but those who are at higher risk, such as older adults or immunocompromised individuals, may experience more severe illness.

How Is XEC Spreading?

XEC has shown strong growth in Europe, especially in Denmark and Germany. Eric Topol, director of the Scripps Research Translational Institute, has suggested that XEC could become the next dominant variant over the winter. However, this process may take several weeks or even a couple of months.

Monitoring the spread of XEC is more challenging now due to less routine Covid testing compared to previous years. Health agencies, such as the CDC, are using alternative methods like wastewater surveillance to keep track of the virus's spread. Despite these limitations, early indications show that XEC is on the rise in various countries.

How Effective Are Current Vaccines Against XEC?

Since XEC is an offshoot of the Omicron lineage, existing vaccines are expected to provide protection against severe illness caused by this variant. Dr. Chin-Hong has expressed confidence in the updated vaccines, especially for those at higher risk, including older adults and individuals with weakened immune systems.

The vaccines, updated to target recent Covid variants, may not be specifically designed for XEC but should still offer a buffer of protection. Health experts recommend getting the updated booster shots to reduce the chance of infection and lower the risk of developing long Covid.

Who Should Get the Booster Shot?

Health authorities recommend that the following groups receive the updated booster:

Adults aged 65 years and over

Residents of care homes

Individuals over six months old in clinical risk groups

Front-line healthcare and social-care workers

The main vaccination drive for both flu and Covid-19 is set to start in October. However, those at higher risk or planning to travel in the fall should consider getting their booster shot earlier.

Expert opinion

Getting vaccinated is super important, especially for older adults. As we age, our immune systems just don’t work as well, which makes seniors more vulnerable to serious illnesses like COVID-19. During the pandemic, older adults were hit the hardest. In fact, according to the CDC, over 80% of COVID-19 deaths in the U.S. were among those 65 and older. This really shows why getting vaccinated is a must – it significantly reduces the risk of severe illness and death in older adults. Plus, it helps take some of the strain off our healthcare system and keeps our communities healthier overall.

Best regards, Anna Klyauzova LinkedIn Profile Prolife Home Care

Protect Yourself This Winter

As the XEC variant continues to spread, it's important to follow public health guidelines to stay protected. In addition to getting vaccinated, wearing masks in crowded places, practicing good hand hygiene, and maintaining social distancing can help reduce the risk of infection.

FAQs About the XEC Covid Variant

Q: What are the symptoms of the XEC variant? A: The symptoms are similar to previous Omicron variants and include fever, cough, sore throat, fatigue, body aches, congestion, and gastrointestinal issues.

Q: How is XEC different from other Covid variants? A: XEC is a recombinant variant from two Omicron subvariants, KS.1.1 and KP.3.3, with unique mutations that could make it more transmissible.

Q: Are current vaccines effective against the XEC variant? A: Yes, existing vaccines are expected to provide protection against severe illness caused by XEC, though they may not completely prevent infection.

Q: Who should get the updated Covid booster? A: Adults over 65, care home residents, people in clinical risk groups, and front-line healthcare workers are recommended to get the booster.

Conclusion

The XEC variant serves as a reminder that the Covid-19 virus continues to evolve. While vaccines may not be a complete shield against infection, they remain the best defense against severe illness and hospitalization. Global trends indicate a rise in Covid-19 cases, highlighting the importance of staying informed and following health recommendations. By getting vaccinated and adhering to public health guidelines, you can protect yourself and those around you as the winter season approaches.

[onewingedangels]

happy birthday!! have a wonderful day and a wonderful year to come as well 💜✨ hope you're enjoying your day playing bg3, i'm looking forward to seeing more of your beautiful creations as always!

thank you so much, anna! 🥺💜💜💜

[elena-gilbert]

Hi! Sorry to bother, but can I ask what font you used in this set? It's beautiful ^^ https://at.tumblr.com/elena-gilbert/alicent-hightower-appreciation-week-day-6/ak6v6o7rbe8s

Hi! Thank you! It's Mael for the palette title and MADE Canvas for shade names :)

[covid-safer-hotties]

Also preserved on our archive (Daily updates!)

Weird how this "endemic" German strain is poised to dominate worldwide... That almost sounds like a pandemic :O

By Ahjané Forbes

KP.3.1.1 is still the dominant COVID-19 variant in the United States as it accounts for nearly 60% of positive cases, but the XEC variant is not far behind, recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data shows.

"CDC is monitoring the XEC variant," Rosa Norman, a CDC spokesperson told USA TODAY. "XEC is the proposed name of a recombinant, or hybrid, of the closely related Omicron lineages KS.1.1 and KP.3.3."

The variant, which first appeared in Berlin in late June, has increasingly seen hundreds of cases in Germany, France, Denmark and Netherlands, according to a report by Australia-based data integration specialist Mike Honey.

The CDC's Nowcast data tracker, which displays COVID-19 estimates and projections for two-week periods, reflected that the KP.3.1.1 variant accounted for 57.2% of positive infections, followed by XEC at 10.7% in the two-week stretch starting on Sept. 29 and ending on Oct. 12.

KP.3.1.1 first became the leading variant between July 21 and Aug. 3.

The latest data shows a rise in each variant's percentage of total cases from Sept. 15-28, as KP.3.1.1 rose by 4.6%, and XEC rose by 5.4%. Previously, the KP.3.1.1 variant made up 52.6% of cases and XEC accounted for 5.3% from Sept. 15-28.

Here is what you need to know about the XEC variant and the latest CDC data.

COVID-19:Your free COVID-19 at-home tests from the government are set to expire soon. Here's why.

Changes in COVID-19 test positivity within a week Data collected by the CDC shows a drop in positivity rate across the board, while the four states in Region 10 had the biggest decrease (-2.7%) in positive COVID-19 cases from Sept. 29, 2024, to Oct. 5, 2024.

The data was posted on Oct. 11.

Note: The CDC organizes positivity rate based on regions, as defined by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Here's the list of states and their regions' changes in COVID-19 positivity for the past week:

Region 1 (Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont): -2% Region 2 (New Jersey, New York, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands): -1.9% Region 3 (Delaware, District of Columbia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia): -1.3% Region 4 (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee): -0.6% Region 5 (Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin): -2% Region 6 (Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas): -0.8% Region 7 (Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska): -1.7% Region 8 (Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming): -1.2% Region 9 (Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada, American Samoa, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Guam, Marshall Islands, and Republic of Palau): -1.3% Region 10 (Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington): -2.7% The CDC data shows COVID-19 test positivity rate was recorded at 7.7% from Sept. 29 to Oct. 5, an absolute change of -1.8% from the prior week.

COVID-19 symptoms The variants currently dominating in the U.S. do not have their own specific symptoms, the CDC says..

"CDC is not aware of new or unusual symptoms associated with XEC or any other co-circulating lineage of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19," Norman said.

The government agency outlines the basic symptoms of COVID-19 on its website. These symptoms can appear between two and 14 days after exposure to the virus and can range from mild to severe.

These are some of the symptoms of COVID-19:

Fever or chills Cough Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing Fatigue Muscle or body aches Headache Loss of taste or smell Sore throat Congestion or runny nose Nausea or vomiting Diarrhea The CDC said you should seek medical attention if you have the following symptoms:

Trouble breathing Persistent pain or pressure in the chest New confusion Inability to wake or stay awake Pale, gray, or blue-colored skin, lips, or nail beds

[secretmellowblog]

I love how Les Mis (the original novel) is so fundamentally hopeful about the power of rebellion and activism. So many adaptations/retellings of Les Mis imply its message is kinda shallow and defeatist— something about how rebellion never changes anything/always puts you back right where you began, so it’s wiser to never stand against the government. But that’s not the novel at all.

The original novel, which Hugo wrote as a barely-veiled call to action against the government of Napoleon III, is so convinced of the value of resistance against tyranny. The message is not that resistance is doomed to fail— it is that resistance to an unjust government is imperative, and it will be a moral victory even if the resistance is crushed.

The June rebellion in Les mis May have been repressed, and it may have failed in its goal of overthrowing the monarchy— but later rebellions did eventually succeed. France doesn’t have a monarchy anymore. A democracy is now in place, the way the rebels of 1832 would’ve wanted. There’s an undercurrent of hope throughout Les Mis— it’s not a story about how rebellion/resistance is futile, it’s a story about how it’s necessary, and about how positive social change is not only possible but also inevitable.

[7h3g3n3r4l]

Xec Bagur

Carmen

[xec]

xec → karlaach

new url curtesy of @faarkas tysm ❤️