XEC variant reaches New York, but older strains still pose greater threat

The first case of the new global variant of the coronavirus XEC has been reported in New York. The more pressing concern, however, is that more and more New Yorkers are becoming infected with the currently dominant variant.

Parts of the state's north, including the Finger Lakes, reported the largest increases in COVID patients hospitalized and detected in wastewater tests in September, as the virus spread among children returning to school and workers returning to offices for the fall.

A total of 194 COVID patients were in Finger Lakes hospitals on Monday, about 11% more than in late August and more than double the number at the start of the summer surge in early July. In contrast, the Mid-Hudson region had 131 COVID patients on Monday, unchanged from late August. The total number of COVID patients statewide also remained unchanged so far in September due to trends in the New York City area.