A new and highly transmissible Covid variant is on its way to becoming the most dominant in the UK, as experts are urging Brits to get their autumn vaccines ahead of time

Here's what you need to know about the new XEC variant, which could soon become the dominant form of COVID-19.

That would mean the usual COVID symptoms listed by the NHS - including a high temperature or shivering, a new, continuous cough and a loss or change to sense of smell or taste - would still apply. Other symptoms include shortness of breath, feeling tired or exhausted, an aching body and a headache.

When it comes to where the new variant has been detected, right now, it’s more common in Europe. Currently, it’s been detected in Poland, Norway, Luxembourg, Ukraine, and Portugal. But XEC has been detected in other places too, such as China, not to mention the 23 cases that have been detected in U.S. so far, including three in California.

Over the nearly five years since COVID first emerged, you'd be forgiven if you've lost track of the number of new variants we've seen. Some have had a bigger impact than others, but virologists have documented thousands.

A new COVID-19 variant, called XEC, is spreading rapidly in Europe. XEC may “ become the dominant variant globally in the next few months ” because of its growth advantage over other circulating variants, according to researchers at the University of Glasgow.

The NHS has urged people 'clinically at risk' to get vaccinated before the winter as XEC variant Covid-19 cases continue to rise with some people at far higher risk from the infection