Shortly before autumn, a new COVID variant, XEC, emerged.

The new variant emerged from the omicron variant, which was first identified in late 2021. It is possible that XEC “will become the dominant subvariant in winter,” Francois Balloux, director of the Genetics Institute at University College London, told the BBC.

Dallas County experienced a surge in COVID-19 cases earlier this summer and last week reported a seven-day rolling average of 63 positive COVID-19 cases daily, according to the Dallas County Health and Human Services website, last updated Sept. 13. But that number doesn’t tell the whole story, as the government hasn’t had a requirement to report test results for COVID-19 since March. Reporting cases is now voluntary and most home tests go unreported.

Researchers at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) say the vaccine and booster shots should protect against the new variant. Here’s what we know about the XEC variant and what you can do to stay healthy.

What we know about the XEC COVID variant

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has not yet listed this variant on its variant and genomic surveillance list. According to Scripps Research’s Outbreak.info, XEC is a hybrid variant derived from two omicron subvariants, KS.1.1 and KP.3.3. It may be more contagious and harder to fight than previous variants due to mutations in its spike protein, which the virus uses to enter and infect our cells.

It is unclear whether the symptoms will be more severe compared to previous strains, but it is likely that they will resemble infection by other omicron variants, said Andrew Pekosz, professor of molecular microbiology and immunology at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health AARP this month.

According to BBC and AARP, the symptoms are similar to cold feelings:

• A high temperature
• Pains
• fatigue
• Cough or sore throat
• Diarrhea
• Nausea or vomiting
• Fever or chills
• Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing

And as far as we know, if you have noticeable symptoms, you should not maintain contact with anyone.

According to the CDC, anyone who has tested positive for a respiratory virus, including COVID-19, or is showing symptoms, can return to normal activities “if symptoms have been improving overall for at least 24 hours and, if fever was present, it has resolved without fever-reducing medication.” For the next five days, you should continue to exercise caution when interacting with other people indoors. Additional measures include ensuring clean air quality, hygiene, wearing masks, physical distancing, and testing.

How to protect yourself from COVID and its variants

CDC health experts recommend that children and adolescents six months and older get vaccinated to combat COVID and its resulting strains.

For those who are healthy and want to prevent respiratory illness, Dallas County Health and Human Services recommends the following:

• Get vaccinated and make sure you are up to date with all recommended doses and boosters, including your flu shot.
• If there is a high risk of infection, wear a mask and keep your distance.
• Wash your hands frequently with soap and water.
• Avoid close contact with sick people.
• Consider rapid testing before group meetings.

If your COVID test is positive, the CDC recommends the following treatments to fight the disease:

• Most people with COVID-19 have only mild illness and can recover at home. They can treat symptoms with over-the-counter medications such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen to help them feel better.
• Adults and children aged 12 and over can consult their GP: antiviral drug nirmatrelvir with ritonavir (Paxlovid). Start as soon as possible; treatment must begin within five days of the onset of symptoms.
• Adults and children can see their PCP for: antiviral medication Veklury (remdesivir). Start as soon as possible; it must begin within seven days of the onset of symptoms.
• Adults seeing their PCP: antiviral medication molnupiravir (Lagevrio). Start as soon as possible; must begin within five days of symptom onset.

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Dallas Morning News writer Lilly Kersh contributed to this report.