A new COVID variant, XEC, has arrived just before fall. The new variant has sprouted from the Omicron variant that developed in late 2021. Though XEC is new, Prof Francois Balloux, director of the Genetics Institute at University College London, told the BBC that he would be surprised if it became the dominant variant throughout winter.

The latest strain of COVID originated in June in Germany, but has already spread across Europe, Asia and North America. Here's what to know.

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

A new COVID variant, XEC, has arrived just before fall. The new variant has sprouted from the omicron variant that was first identified in late 2021. It’s possible that XEC may “become the dominant subvariant over the winter,” Francois Balloux, director of the Genetics Institute at University College London, told the BBC.

Some of the earliest U.S. cases were reported in Virginia.

As COVID-19 activity remains high in the United States, a new variant called XEC has emerged and is spreading rapidly in Europe and other parts of the world. Only a handful of cases have been detected in the U.

A new COVID-19 variant spreading overseas is now expected to become the primary strain in the U.S., possibly before the arrival of winter.