In short:

Australia has recorded its first cases of the XEC COVID-19 variant that has been spreading in Europe this year.

The mutation is a “recombinant” variant that is a mix of two previous Omicron subvariants called KS 1.1 and KP 3.3.

What’s next?

An infectious disease expert says the strain has the hallmarks of something that could lead to a “summer wave” of infections.

  • rtxn@lemmy.world
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    1 month ago

    Remember when we thought people would realize the dangers of a global pandemic, and through a shared responsibility, we could do to COVID what we’ve done to smallpox and measles, and it would blow over in a few months?

    Fuck you, people. All you had to do was stay in your fucking homes and wear a fucking cloth over your stupid fuckin mouths.

    • unemployedclaquer@sopuli.xyz
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      1 month ago

      I couldn’t agree more, but all that could ever do was mitigate the spread. And I think all that no-contact messaging did help, but there’s no way you could prevent people from eventually wandering out to fuck each other.

    • dumbass@leminal.space
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      1 month ago

      I got some peoole to start wearing a mask by explaining to them you can quietly talk shit about people in public with a mask on and no one will notice unless they hear you, which they wont if you’re not being loud.