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,

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.

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.