The more contagious COVID variant XEC could become the dominant variant in the USA

The side effects of the newly discovered COVID-19 strain XEC may not be as severe, but experts believe it is one of the more contagious variants.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) defines XEC as a recombinant or hybrid of strains KS.1.1 and KP.3.3., both from the Omicron family, which became the predominant strain in the United States in late December 2022.

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

XEC has also been reported in at least 25 U.S. states, but there may be more because not every positive test results in genetic testing, said epidemiologist Joëlla W. Adams of RTI International.