The coronavirus subvariant XEC is drawing more attention as a potential threat heading into late autumn and winter — prompting doctors to urge residents to get an updated COVID vaccine.

The latest global coronavirus mutation is swiftly spreading in Europe. Will it drive a wave of illness in the U.S.? And do vaccines offer protection?

A new COVID variant has emerged, with some scientists saying it could soon be the dominant strain of the virus. While global cases of the XEC variant remain small in number, it may "represent a sizeable proportion" of infections by the winter.

A new COVID-19 variant, XEC, has arrived just before fall. The new variant has sprouted from the omicron variant that developed in late 2021. Although XEC is new, Francois Balloux, director of the Genetics Institute at University College London, told the BBC that he would be surprised if it became the dominant variant throughout winter.

The coronavirus subvariant XEC is drawing more attention as a potential threat heading into late autumn and winter — prompting doctors to urge residents to get an updated COVID vaccine.

While XEC is not dominant in the United States, it could take hold by the late fall and winter, one health expert said in a newspaper interview.

The new "XEC" COVID-19 variant spreading rapidly in Europe has arrived in the US. What are the symptoms, will it cause a fall surge, and are vaccines effective? Experts discuss