Talk of the new Covid variant – known as XEC – is currently rife, with reports emerging that the variant, first detected in Germany in June, is spreading across the United States and the rest of Europe.

Another COVID-19 variant is on the rise this fall, hot on the heels of a massive summer surge of the virus. The variant, called XEC, is appearing worldwide. The SARS-CoV-2 virus mutation has also been spotted in at least half of the United States,

COVID levels in the U.S. remain high, according to wastewater detections, which is a retreat from the CDC’s label of “very high” earlier in the summer. About 15% of COVID tests reported to the CDC are positive, and that rate has been trending downward, as have been COVID-related emergency room visits and hospitalizations.