The new XEC variant is spreading so fast it looks set to become the UK’s dominant Covid strain this week, fuelling the current wave of the virus, experts predict.

That would mean the usual COVID symptoms listed by the NHS - including a high temperature or shivering, a new, continuous cough and a loss or change to sense of smell or taste - would still apply. Other symptoms include shortness of breath, feeling tired or exhausted, an aching body and a headache.

In today’s health headlines, what to know about the new COVID XEC strain, an ebola-like virus is spreading in Rwanda, and a message for parents about childhood vaccine exemptions. Dr. Onyema Ogbuagu,

Over the nearly five years since COVID first emerged, you'd be forgiven if you've lost track of the number of new variants we've seen. Some have had a bigger impact than others, but virologists have documented thousands.

As cold and flu season approaches, the situation is becoming more complex with the recent emergence of the new COVID-19 variant, XEC. COVID-19 and knowledge of its exact properties have evolved quite a bit,

When it comes to where the new variant has been detected, right now, it’s more common in Europe. Currently, it’s been detected in Poland, Norway, Luxembourg, Ukraine, and Portugal. But XEC has been detected in other places too, such as China, not to mention the 23 cases that have been detected in U.S. so far, including three in California.

Two new COVID-19 strains are circulating globally. Here's what we know about them and what experts anticipate.

The latest global coronavirus mutation is swiftly spreading in Europe. Will it drive a wave of illness in the U.S.? And do vaccines offer protection?

A new highly transmissible COVID-19 strain that first appeared in Europe is now beginning to spread in the United States. Called XEC, the offshoot of the Omicron strain was initially identified in Germany early this past summer before quickly spreading throughout Europe.