In Tajikistan, citizens have increasingly been visiting medical facilities with symptoms such as fever, cough, and chronic fatigue.  Some residents believe that the current flu is a subtype of the XEC coronavirus due to similar symptoms.  However, the Ministry of Health and Social Protection of Tajikistan (MoHSPP) has denied this, informing Asia-Plus that the rumors are unfounded.

"There have been no cases of infection with the new strain of coronavirus, XEC, in Tajikistan. The country is currently experiencing seasonal flu," said an official source within a MoHSPP.  "All laboratories are operational, COVID-19 tests are available, but no cases of the disease have been registered. However, many patients do not undergo testing and self-diagnose with 'coronavirus,' leading to these rumors."

The source further noted that there is currently no vaccine against coronavirus in the country, and it is unclear if or when it will be imported.

At the same time, the MoHSPP urged citizens to follow preventive measures, including washing hands thoroughly, maintaining cleanliness and hygiene, and ventilating rooms.  If one has a fever or develops a cough, the Ministry recommends seeking medical advice and, if receiving outpatient treatment, staying at home.

What about other countries?

As of now, Russia has recorded seven cases of infection with the new XEC coronavirus strain. According to a statement by Rospotrebnadzor (Russia’s Federal Service for the Oversight of Consumer Protection and Welfare), the dominant variant in the country remains the JN.1 lineage.

Over the past week, more than 32,000 cases of infection have been detected in Russia, a 29.8% increase compared to the previous week.  The Russian Minister of Health, Mikhail Murashko, confirmed the rise in infections but reassured the public that available medications remain effective.

The new XEC coronavirus variant has symptoms similar to previous ones: fever, sore throat, cough, loss of smell, and fatigue.

The XEC variant began spreading globally in May. It was first identified in Italy and by June had been detected in Germany, followed by cases in the U.S., the U.K., Denmark, and other countries.  Experts believe that XEC, a subtype of the Omicron variant and a hybrid of KS.1.1 and KP.3.3, may soon become the dominant form of the coronavirus, displacing previous variants.

On September 17, 2024, the World Health Organization (WHO) published a report on the global infection situation. Between July 22 and August 18, 2024, the number of new cases and deaths increased by 23% and 44%, respectively, compared to the previous 28-day period (from June 24 to July 21).

XEC is a “recombinant” version of SARS-CoV-2 – the virus that caused the original COVID-19 pandemic.  Recombinants form when a person is infected with two different strains of COVID at the same time.  Genetic material from the two different strains then “recombines” or “exchanges” with each other, creating a third, new strain.  While symptoms from XEC have so far been reported as mild, the new strain is reportedly part of the “Omicron” lineage – a more severe variant of coronavirus which peaked in 2022.