BBC doc warns of new Covid variant's 'different symptoms' amid 'tripledemic' fears
A new Covid variant is causing concern as it's believed to be more transmissible and has symptoms that "wipe people out" according to BBC Breakfast ’s resident GP, Dr Helen Wall. With the cold weather upon us, Dr Wall has been informing the public about what to expect from this emerging strain, which could soon become the most dominant yet.
She highlighted that XEC Covid seems to be "really wiping people out" and is becoming increasingly difficult to distinguish from other common illnesses such as flu and colds. Speaking to Manchester Evening News, the Greater Manchester doctor discussed how the new variant has affected her practice and pointed out some warning signs that Brits should watch for.
During a time when respiratory illnesses are more common, Dr Wall observed that XEC Covid is on the rise, but it's still unclear if its prevalence is due to higher transmissibility. She explained: "I suspect more because they always are. But we don’t know what the situation is. At the moment, it seems to be a bit more flu-like than previous iterations of Covid, with a high temperature, a cough, aching body, headache."
Dr Wall also made a distinction between the flu and Covid, saying: "Generally, if you’ve got true flu, you’re bed bound. With Covid, you might actually be quite well. You might be coughing and having other symptoms, but able to go about your business – and you might be unintentionally spreading it to people who are vulnerable."
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A new Covid variant, XEC, is causing concern among health experts as it combines two existing strains and has genetic ties to Omicron. Researchers believe it could become the most dominant strain worldwide due to its "growth advantage".
Dr Wall has observed an increase in flu-like Covid cases, which may be harder to track with reduced testing. She emphasized that hospital data might not fully represent the variant's spread, stating: "We only know for sure about the cases that we see in hospitals, involving the sickest people, because that’s where most of the testing is happening."
With a potential "tripledemic" on the horizon, Dr Wall is urging eligible individuals to get vaccinated against RSV, Covid, and flu, especially in Greater Manchester where uptake has fallen. She cautioned: "If you’ve been deemed eligible for these vaccines, it’s because we think you’re going to be very ill if you get these and end up in hospital. It’s about keeping that in perspective, you don’t want to look back and wish you’d had the jabs."
