A new variant of Covid-19called XEC, was identified in Rio de Janeiro. The strain is a derivation of Ômicron and was already spreading to other countries. In Brazil, the first cases were confirmed by the Oswaldo Cruz Institute in two people living in the capital of Rio de Janeiro who had not recently traveled abroad.
According to the State Department of Health, both patients presented mild symptoms, similar to those of a cold, and recovered without complications.
This week, the new variant was also identified in patients from São Paulo and Santa Catarina. The World Health Organization (OMS) classified the CHECKon September 24, as a “variant under monitoring”, due to mutations that may confer a growth advantage over other strains in circulation.
The strain began to attract attention between June and July 2024, when there was an increase in detections in Germany. Since then, XEC has spread rapidly across Europe, the Americas, Asia and Oceania. More than 35 countries have already registered cases of this variant.
Experts indicate that XEC may be more transmissible, but its behavior in Brazil still needs to be observed. The impact of the variant may be different in the country due to the different immunological memory of the population, which was exposed to different strains throughout the pandemic.
Despite the arrival of the new strain, data from the Municipal Health Department of Rio de Janeiro and Infogripe, from Fiocruz, do not point to an increase in Covid-19 cases in the city.
Symptoms of XEC remain similar to those of other variants, including fever, sore throat, cough, body aches, loss of smell and appetite. THE vaccination up to date, with updated booster doses, it continues to be the main strategy to prevent serious conditions and hospitalizations.
The guidance from health authorities is to maintain hygienic care and, in case of flu-like symptoms, look for a primary care unit to carry out testing.
