Germany Monitors New XEC COVID Variant Amid Rising Respiratory Illnesses

Health officials report a stable spread of the XEC variant, with no severe health risks identified, as respiratory illnesses hit a record high.

XEC variant accounts for 27% of COVID-19 cases in Germany, slightly decreasing from the previous week.
Both the ECDC and WHO assess the health risk from the XEC variant as low, with no severe cases reported.
The dominant COVID-19 variant remains KP.3.1.1, comprising 41% of cases, surpassing XEC.
Germany experiences a surge in respiratory illnesses, with 8,800 cases per 100,000 people, the highest since 2011.
Common symptoms of the XEC variant include fever, cough, and loss of taste, similar to previous strains.