New COVID variant XEC now in half of states. Here's what to know.
CBSN
COVID-19 variant trackers are now closely watching the rise of a new virus variant called XEC, which has been spotted around the world and in half of states across the United States.
Health officials are so far not raising concern about this variant, unlike some previous, more highly mutated strains that worried experts.
XEC's emergence comes as COVID-19 trends remain "high" but are now largely slowing after a summer wave of infections that peaked last month. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention modelers estimate that the virus will likely climb again over the winter, peaking in mid-January.
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