A new COVID-19 variant, XEC, is spreading quickly in Europe and other regions just after a summer spike in cases across the U.S. Experts project that XEC could become the dominant strain in the U.S. by fall, according to CBS News.
So, has XEC been detected in California? The answer is yes, but it’s not causing major concern for the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) at this time.
CDPH officials reported a small number of XEC cases in California since mid-August, but the variant hasn’t yet been added to their official tracking chart. Overall, COVID-19 levels are declining in the state.
“While COVID-19 levels had increased over the summer to levels comparable to last summer, they are now decreasing as seen in both decreasing SARS-CoV-2 test positivity and detections in wastewater,” CDPH told KCRA 3. told by Today.com
Additionally, the updated 2024-25 vaccines are expected to protect against XEC and other variants expected to circulate this fall and winter.
