Latest NHS Covid advice on symptoms and when to stay at home amid new XEC strain

A new variant of Covid-19 has been detected in the UK, with health experts believing that it could become the dominant strain of the virus as winter cold and flu season arrives.

The XEC variant was first identified in Germany this June, and has since been found in countries across Europe, Asia and North America, with more than 80 cases now confirmed in the UK. According to scientists, XEC carries mutations that could help it to spread this autumn and cause a "wave" of new infections, CoventryLive reports.

With four and a half years having passed since the first lockdown in the UK and a vaccine programme having been rolled out, public attitudes towards Covid are very different to how they once were. Nevertheless, the virus can still be a more serious illness and cause long-lasting symptoms in some people, so it's still worth trying to avoid spreading it where possible, the NHS advises.

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The most important guidance backed by health officials is to make sure you are up to date with your Covid vaccines, with the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) advising that this continues to provide "the best protection" against becoming seriously ill from the virus. It's believed that XEC has evolved from Omicron subvariants, which suggests that existing vaccines should remain effective against it.

Those who are eligible for an autumn booster should be contacted by the NHS directly, and are urged to make an appointment to receive their vaccine. This will include people aged over 64, those living in care homes, frontline health and social care workers, and people with health conditions that make them more vulnerable to becoming seriously ill from the virus.

While isolation rules are no longer in force in the UK, the NHS continues to advise staying at home and avoiding contact with other people where possible if you or your child have symptoms of Covid and either a high temperature, or do not feel well enough to go to school, work, or do your normal activities.

If you test positive for Covid-19, the NHS says you should try to stay at home and avoid contact with others for five days after the day you took the test if you are an adult (18+), or three days for a child who has tested positive. You should also avoid meeting people who are more likely to get seriously ill from viruses, such as people with a weakened immune system, for 10 days after the day you took your test.

Covid can feel very similar to other common illnesses, such as colds and flu. The official NHS list of symptoms includes:

• a high temperature or shivering (chills) – a high temperature means you feel hot to touch on your chest or back (you do not need to measure your temperature)

• a new, continuous cough – this means coughing a lot for more than an hour, or three or more coughing episodes in 24 hours

• a loss or change to your sense of smell or taste

• shortness of breath

• feeling tired or exhausted

• an aching body

• a headache

• a sore throat

• a blocked or runny nose

• loss of appetite

• diarrhoea

• feeling sick or being sick

If you are experiencing these symptoms, you should get lots of rest, drink plenty of water, and can take paracetamol or ibuprofen if needed, the health service suggests. You can also seek advice from a pharmacist about cough treatments if a cough is one of your symptoms - more advice about Covid can be found on the NHS website.