New Covid variant is unlike anything seen before as GP warns symptoms will ‘wipe you out’

A new strain of Covid – the XEC coronavirus variant – will “wipe out” people who catch it, a GP has warned.

Some of the more recent strains since the pandemic have been milder, but GP Helen Wall said the current strain circulating is more like the flu, with more severe symptoms.

The new variant is spreading across the world and there are fears it could become the most dominant. Dr Wall, clinical director of population health for Greater Manchester, told the MEN that GPs are seeing an increase in illness as the new variant spreads.

She said: “We usually see an increase in respiratory infections at this time of year. There is another Covid variant on the scene that is expected to become the most dominant and is becoming more prevalent like all variants before it.

“We don’t really know if that makes the disease more or less transmissible, I guess it’s more so, because it always does. But we don’t know what the situation is.”

XEC is a recombinant variant that occurs when two existing strains combine.

This can occur if an individual contracts both strains simultaneously.

XEC is formed from KP.3.3 and KS. 1.1, with genetic links to omicron – a variant initially spotted in South Africa in 2021, known for its high levels of contagion and reduced severity compared to earlier strains of SARS-CoV-2.

But some experts fear that “XEC appears to have a growth advantage and is spreading faster than other circulating variants, suggesting it will become the dominant variant globally in the coming months.”

Bolton’s GP believes the most recent coronavirus cases are more like flu in terms of symptoms and compared to past variants.

She said: “We may well see the new Covid variant in practice.

“At the moment it feels a little more like a flu than previous iterations of Covid, with high temperature, cough, body aches, headaches.

“In the past some of the symptoms have been more cough and cold symptoms, but at the moment Covid seems to be wiping people out.

“But it’s really difficult to tell if it’s really Covid, because many symptoms are confused with other illnesses that are prevalent at this time of year. It is difficult to distinguish whether it is Covid or the flu.

“People who get the flu tend to be extremely sick. Sometimes people say they have the flu, but really they have a bad cold.

“Usually, if you have a real flu, you’re bedridden. With Covid, you might actually be doing pretty well. You might have a cough and other symptoms but be able to go about your business – and you might unintentionally spread the virus to vulnerable people.

She is urging people to get vaccinated against what the NHS has dubbed the “tripledemia” of winter illnesses.

This year the NHS is offering the new respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine, as well as the Covid and flu vaccines.

She knows people can get tired of getting vaccinated when they may feel sore or in pain afterward, but she warns they will be much sicker if they don’t get vaccinated.

She said: “Three vaccines is a lot, and some people might think it’s just another thing to worry about, or getting the RSV vaccine but not also getting the Covid vaccines and the flu.

“The difficulty is that people are working, there is a cost of living crisis – people don’t want to take time off work to get vaccinated or if they feel a little unwell because of side effects. But I encourage people to keep the bigger picture in mind.

“Most vaccine side effects disappear within a few hours to 24 hours; about half of those vaccinated will not experience any side effects. If you suffer from one of these illnesses, you will be away from work much longer.

“If you have been deemed eligible for these vaccines, it is because we believe you are going to be very ill if you receive them and end up in the hospital. It’s about keeping it in perspective, you don’t want to look back and wish you had gotten the vaccines.