Brits have been urged to come forward for their booster jabs this autumn as around one in 10 cases of Covid in the UK are now thought to be caused by a new highly contagious variant. In an update the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said it was “monitoring” the XEC strain, which has been found around the world.
XEC was first discovered in Germany and has since been found in 27 countries across Europe, Asia, and North America. The global case count exceeds 600.
It is thought to be highly transmissible due to a number of mutations it carries with experts believing it could become the dominant strain. The UKHSA also warned that hospitalisations due to Covid have seen a slight increase in the UK in the past couple of weeks.
It therefore encouraged eligible Brits to come forward for their Covid booster jab, alongside their flu and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine, when offered. Doctor Jamie Lopez Bernal, consultant epidemiologist at the UKHSA, said: “COVID-19 is continuing to circulate, with a slight increase in hospitalisations over the past two weeks.
“As winter approaches, we expect flu and RSV to increasingly circulate too, so if you’re eligible to get vaccinated against the three main winter threats – COVID-19, flu and RSV – now is the time to take them up and get winter strong. We understand people may be concerned about new variants. Our surveillance shows that where Covid cases are sequenced, around one in 10 are the ‘XEC’ lineage.
“Current information doesn’t suggest we should be more concerned about this variant but we are monitoring this closely. The most important thing to do is to get your vaccination as soon as possible if you’re eligible.”
Although it is no longer mandatory to self-isolate with Covid, you should try to avoid contact with others where possible if you experience symptoms. Dr Lopez Bernal added: “If you are showing symptoms of flu or COVID-19 such as a high temperature, cough, and feeling tired and achy, try to limit your contact with others, especially those who are vulnerable.”
Key takeaways from the latest Covid data showed:
- COVID-19 activity increased across most indicators compared with the previous week
- SARS-CoV-2 weekly average positivity rate remained stable at 13.4 percent compared to 13.3 percent in the previous week. This is based on a percentage of people who test positive in hospital settings
- COVID-19 hospitalisations increased to 4.55 per 100,000 compared to 3.72 per 100,000 in the previous week
- COVID-19 ICU admissions decreased to 0.12 per 100,000 in week 10 compared with 0.14 in the previous week
- There were 59 COVID-19 acute respiratory incidents reported in week 40
- Positivity rates were highest in those aged 85 or more years, at a weekly average positivity rate of 21.1 percent remaining stable from the previous week
- The highest hospital admission rate is currently in the North East at 8.12 per 100,000
- Those aged 85 years and over had the highest hospital admission rate, which increased to 52.48 per 100,000 compared with 40.39 in the previous week.
Symptoms of Covid include:
- A high temperature or shivering (chills) – a high temperature means you feel hot to touch on your chest or back (you do not need to measure your temperature)
- A new, continuous cough – this means coughing a lot for more than an hour, or three or more coughing episodes in 24 hours
- A loss or change to your sense of smell or taste
- Shortness of breath
- Feeling tired or exhausted
- An aching body
- A headache
- A sore throat
- A blocked or runny nose
- Loss of appetite
- Diarrhoea
- Feeling sick or being sick.
Booster jabs will be available until December 20 this year. They will be offered to those deemed most vulnerable to Covid, which include:
- Over-65s
- People aged between six months and 64 years with health conditions that make them more vulnerable
- People living in care homes for older people
- Frontline health and social-care staff, including in care homes for older people.
The NHS will contact eligible patients directly, but they can also book their own appointments now via the NHS App, GPs, pharmacies, drop-in clinics, or by calling 119. Anyone also entitled to the flu jab, will be offered this at the same time.