The map shows the latest cases of Covid-19 XEC and symptoms to look out for

In recent weeks, there has been an increase in the number of Covid-19 cases across the country

Since its detection in 2019, the virus has mutated significantly(Picture: Danny Lawson/PA Wire)

Scientists have reported that the newly identified strain of Covid-19 may become the dominant strain as winter approaches. Covid-19 is spreading across parts of the UK, with the infection rate doubling in some places in the last week.

The XEC variant, first detected in June in Germany, has been detected in several countries including the UK, US and Denmark, according to reports on social media. Experts suggest that the XEC mutation may increase its ability to spread in the fall. But they assured people that vaccines should still be effective in preventing serious diseases.

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While areas across the country are seeing an increase in virus rates, Merseyside has seen a decline in infection rates. Wirral, Liverpool and Sefton fell on the previous week, with Wirral recording the highest infection rate of 3.43 per 100,000 people in the week ending September 11. The symptoms are thought to be the same as before, resembling a cold or flu:

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high temperature
pain
tiredness
cough or sore throat

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SurreyLive reports that people usually feel better within a few weeks of contracting coronavirus, but in some cases recovery may take longer. The NHS is providing free vaccinations to remind people who are at increased risk of serious complications from Covid-19. People eligible for the free booster vaccine are:

adults aged 65 and over
living in care homes for the elderly
children over six months of age belonging to the clinical risk group
some frontline NHS, care home and social care workers

A number of pharmacies and private clinics on the High Street are selling and administering Covid vaccines directly to the public. The cost ranges from around £45 to £99. Routine testing for Covid-19 is not recommended, but you can buy a home test for around £2 from High Street pharmacies and online.

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The main outdoor vaccination drive for flu and Covid-19 will start in October, although some may receive the vaccine earlier. While vaccine formulations have been updated to better respond to the latest variants, they were not designed specifically for XEC, which evolved from earlier Omicron subvariants.

You can find the latest Covid data on the map below. They cover the seven days until September 11. Carlisle has had the highest rate of Covid cases in the country, with 10.88 cases per 100,000 people in the area. Waverley is in second place with 9.31 cases per 100,000 people.

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Professor Francois Balloux, Professor of Computational Systems Biology and Director of the UCL Institute of Genetics, UCL, said: “XEC has a slight transmissibility advantage over other SARS-CoV-2 currently in circulation, but protection is provided by vaccines and the earlier SARS-CoV -2 infections against severe symptoms remain in place.

“The number of SARS-CoV-2 cases is expected to increase again this coming winter. Right now, case numbers are plateauing or declining in most places. The XEC subvariant is not causing a surge and is not expected to cause another wave, but as case numbers increase, it could account for a significant portion of SARS-CoV-2 infections.

Dr Gayatri Amirthalingam, deputy director of the UKHSA, said: “This is normal and viruses are expected to change genetically over time. The UKHSA continues to monitor all available information on emerging variants of the Covid virus in the UK and globally and publishes its data regularly.

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“Vaccination provides the best protection against serious illness from Covid-19, so we are urging people contacted by the NHS to come forward for the autumn vaccine.”