Summary
Despite new variants like XEC, Covid-19 appears milder, with fewer hospitalizations and severe cases, even though infections remain widespread.
Experts attribute this to improved population immunity from repeated infections and vaccinations, which blunt the virus’s effects.
XEC’s immune evasion has not caused a significant surge, and symptoms now resemble mild colds for most.
However, risks like long Covid and potential severe variants persist, emphasizing the need for continued vaccinations and research on better treatments and vaccines, including mucosal and universal options, to manage the virus’s unpredictable evolution.
More to the point, less deadly strains are more likely to spread more widely. Not only are their hosts not dying, but people will take fewer precautions against the possibility of catching a less deadly infection.