In the nearly five years since the emergence of the Covid-19 virus, you would be forgiven for forgetting the number of latest variants we’ve seen. Some have had a greater impact than others, but documented by virologists hundreds.

The latest variant that is making headlines it’s called XEC. This omicron subvariant has been reported mainly in the northern hemisphere, but is now occurring detected in Australia too.

So what do we know about XEC?

Is Covid still relevant?

People are less more likely to test for Covid-19 and fewer more likely to report it. Enthusiasm for track the virus generally decreasing.

However, Australia continues to gather data and report Covid data. Although the number of cases is more likely to be much higher than documented (approx This 12 months already 275,000), we can still tell when we see significant waves in comparison with periods of lower activity.

Australia has recorded its latest peak in Covid-19 cases of the 12 months June 2024. Since then, the number of cases has been declining.

But SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid, is actually still around.

What variants are currently in circulation?

Main Covid variants currently circulating around the world are BA.2.86, JN.1, KP.2, KP.3 and XEC. They are all descendants of Omicron.

This is the first time the XEC variant has been detected in Italy in May 2024, the World Health Organization (WHO) described it as a variant “under monitoring”in September.

From the moment of detection XEC has spread to over 27 countries in Europe, North America and Asia. As of mid-September, the highest number of cases were found in countries equivalent to the United States, Germany, France, the United Kingdom and Denmark.

XEC is currently catching up 20% of cases in Germany, 12% in the UK AND in the USA about 6%..

Although XEC stays a minority variant worldwide, it appears to have a growth advantage over other circulating variants. We don’t know why yet, but reports suggest it might be possible spread more easily than other variants.

For this reason, it is predicted that XEC may turn into the dominant variant worldwide in the coming months.

How about Australia?

Latest Australian Respiratory Surveillance Report it has been noted that an increasing proportion of sequenced XECs has been observed recently.

In Australia, 329 SARS-CoV-2 sequences collected from August 26 to September 22 were uploaded to the website AusTrakkaAustralia’s National Genomics Surveillance Platform for Covid-19.

The most sequences (301 of 329, or 91.5%) are JN.1 sublines, including KP.2 (17 of 301) and KP.3 (236 of 301). The remaining 8.5% (28 of 329) were recombinants consisting of a number of omicron sublineages, including XEC.

Estimates based on data from GISAID, the international repository of viral sequences, suggest that XEC is catching up about 5% of cases in Australia or 16 of 314 samples were sequenced.

Queensland reported the highest rates over the last 30 days (8% or eight of 96 sequences), followed by South Australia (5% or five of 93), Victoria (5% or one of 20) and New South Wales (3% or two out of 71). WA recorded zero sequences out of 34. No data was available for other states and territories.

What do we know about XEC? What is a recombinant?

The XEC variant is believed to be the recombinant descendant of two previously identified omicron subvariants, KS.1.1 and KP.3.3. Recombinant variants arise when two different variants infect a number at the same time, allowing the viruses to swap genetic information. This results in the emergence of a brand new variant having features of each “parent” lines.

KS.1.1 belongs to a bunch commonly often called “FLiRT” variantswhile KP.3.3 is one of the “FLuQE” variants. Both of these groups of variants have contributed to the emergence of recent ones increase in the number of Covid infections throughout the world.

WHO naming conventions for brand new COVID variants, letter combos are sometimes used to designate latest variants, particularly those who arise from recombination events between existing lineages. “X” normally means: recombinant variant (equivalent to XBB), while the letters following it discover specific lineages.

So far, we know little about the features of XEC and the way it differs from other variants. However, there is no evidence to suggest that symptoms might be more severe than with earlier versions of the virus.

We only know what mutations this variant has. In the S gene encoding the spike protein, we find the T22N mutation (inherited from KS.1.1), in addition to Q493E (from KP.3.3) and others mutations
known to omicron pedigree.

Will vaccines still work well against XEC?

Latest monitoring data doesn’t show a big increase in the number of hospitalizations because of Covid-19. This suggests that current vaccines still provide effective protection against the severe effects of circulating variants.

As the virus continues to mutate, vaccine firms will proceed to accomplish that proceed to update your vaccines. Both Pfizer and Moderna have updated vaccines targeting the JN.1 variant, which is the parent strain of the FLiRT variants and due to this fact should protect against XEC.

However, Australia is I’m still waiting to seek out out which vaccines could also be made available to the public and when.

In the meantime, omicron-based vaccines equivalent to the current XBB.1.5 spikevax (Moderna) or COMIRNATY (Pfizer) vaccines are still more likely to provide good protection against XEC.

It’s hard to predict how XEC will behave in Australia once summer arrives. We will need more research to higher understand this variant because it spreads. However, provided that XEC was first detected in Europe during the northern hemisphere summer months, this suggests that XEC could also be well-suited to spread in warmer weather.

How much does Alvin Ailey owe? This burning query is at the heart of the Whitney Museum of Art’s latest exhibition, Curated by the museum’s senior curator Adrienne Edwards and presented in collaboration with the Alvin Ailey Dance Company, the exhibition delves into the boundless creativity of Ailey’s legendary life. Edwards says the film was nearly seven years in the making, and she decided not only to deal with the luminary’s holy steps, but in addition to take an in depth take a look at the man’s life. Ailey once remarked, “I desired to paint. I made watercolors. I desired to sculpt. I wrote poetry. I wanted to jot down an excellent American novel. Edwards uses this idea as a narrative framework to present a cultural custodian of unprecedented generosity.

The artworks are arranged thematically but follow a loose chronology, reimagining the stunted standards of the South’s manipulated history before transcending practices of black spirituality, migration, liberation, and love. From intimate letters, digital recordings, poems and archival footage, the series offers the most formative insight into Ailey’s inner life yet. Supported by over 80 stellar artists from throughout history – Jean Michel-Basquiat, Kara Walker, Elizabeth Catlett, Mickalene Thomas, Lynette Yiadom-Boakye and more – the exhibition uses Ailey’s spirit as a threshold to trace the evolution of Blackness through art world performances. What struck Edwards most was Ailey’s keen sense of visuality.

“If you look at the posters for the show, the way he writes about the dance, his choice of costumes and lighting, you can see that he was constantly thinking about his intended image creation, and that’s why I think he drew so much on the visual arts, as well as the way he literature also influences the narrative aspects of creating dance,” Edwards noted.

The space, incredibly opulent and draped in the most delicious shade of red, evokes the majesty of stage curtains, setting the stage for a belated celebration of Ailey’s legacy. One of the most intriguing and subtle themes of the series was Ailey’s mastery of style. Throughout his profession, he understood that costumes not only enhanced the visual aspect of dance, but in addition captured the audience’s imagination.

In “Revelations,” flashing in fragments on a multi-screen video installation drawn from archival footage, he used colours daring enough to withstand the weariness of life, with fluid silhouettes that mirrored the choreographer’s fluid movements. Taking a better take a look at performance materials and scripts, it’s striking how closely he connected his art with cinema. The bejeweled bodices and dazzling headpieces of “For Bird – With Love” compete with a gold-plated painting by Mickalene Thomas that’s as much a piece of art as the dances themselves. “I love the sketches and photos of the dancers performing at Studio 54 during the opening night,” Edwards says, highlighting the kind of precious history many of us had no idea Ailey was an element of.

It’s not possible to not be amazed by the elegance embodied in the costumes – an elegance that feels each modern and everlasting. We glimpse Cicely Tyson, a portrait of pastoral simplicity, dressed elegantly in creamy white, with gloves and a hat. In the glimpses of “Cry,” Judith Jamison’s heavenly white shirt, easy and sophisticated, stands as each a monument and a testament to the richness of the saying “less is more.” These designs follow the ballet core trend that continues to realize popularity, symbolizing how far Ailey’s work extends beyond the stage.

Why did it take so long for Alvin Ailey to develop into synonymous with American history around the world? Why is not his legacy treated as fastidiously as others? The exhibition corrects and corrects all historical omissions. “The archive is a mourning work. We have lost a queer elder, we have lost many of those who came before us, especially in the context of art. But it’s not about the story; it’s about the future,” Edwards emphasizes. “It’s a leftover that we can track, pick up and move to the next location.”

At the premiere, surrounded by intensely moisturized colours and thick perfumes, the atmosphere was stuffed with, as Ailey put it, “movements full of images.” A crowd full of every kind of beauties, wearing countless outfits appropriate to the stage of life: ballet shoes, hair tied in a decent, smooth bun, dresses so sumptuous and clinging, colourful coats washed in the same shade of memory of blood, all images whose origins reach back to the ends of the vast Ailey’s intelligence and infinite imagination.

it isn’t just an exhibition; it is a celebration of heritage. It also encourages us to reflect on our memories and shared stories. Edwards ensures that visitors not only take a look at Ailey’s work, but develop into immersed in it, imbued with the energy of every dance, every dream and every discipline.

An expression of life itself, a testament to the resilience, joy and indomitable will of the human spirit. The exhibition not only pays tribute to Ailey, but challenges us to reconsider the very structure of American cultural history and American consciousness.

Main image: Installation view of Edges of Ailey (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, September 25, 2024 – February 9, 2025). Left to right: Lynette Yiadom-Boakye, Fly Trap, 2024; Purvis Young, Love Dance, 1991. Photo: Jason Lowrie/BFA.com. © BFA 2024

The nonprofit organization Between Friends celebrates Domestic Violence Awareness Month with an annual candle lighting on October 1. The organization has been raising awareness about domestic violence for 26 years. Executive Director Verda Bhatti discussed the complexities of domestic violence.

Bhatti stated, “Sometimes it could be very physical, sometimes it may just be verbaland sometimes it can be emotional.

On the beach on Ohio Street, Between Friends lights paper lanterns representing all victims of domestic violence. Bhatti expressed hope that the variety of lanterns would decrease annually. “But unfortunately this is not happening,” he says.

While domestic violence affects people of all genders and races, the problem is very acute for Black women. According to the Women’s Policy Research Institute, 40% of black women “will experience domestic violence in their lifetime.”

Domestic violence is greater than just physical violence from an intimate partner. US Department of Justice lists various types of domestic violence. The Department of Justice recognizes the intimidation, manipulation, humiliation, isolation, and attempts to intimidate, terrorize, coerce, threaten, blame, harm, injure, or injure someone as types of abuse.

More than half of all black women have experienced non-physical domestic violence. According to the National Center for Victims of Crime, “53.8% of Black women have experienced psychological violence and 41.2% of Black women have experienced physical violence.”

The Blackburn Center is attempting to get to the basis causes of the increased harm done to black women. The organization cites “the objectification and degradation of women in the media, rape culture, harmful gender norms, the pay gap” and racism as causes of increased harm.

The objectification of Black women is a story as old as time. This story continues to be told as pre-emancipation terms reminiscent of “bed girl” are still used to explain women. The use of this and plenty of other terms in modern times only reinforces the concept that black women are viewed by some as lower than human. Objects or toys could also be used on the discretion of others. Just like children, many individuals don’t think that using, abusing and breaking toys is a foul thing.

Suggested by the Blackburn Center solving these causes, first acknowledging intersectionality. Paying attention to Black women’s vulnerable intersections and dealing to make sure equity of their pay, image, and standing would help dispel the concept that they’re expendable.

If you already know of any current or former domestic violence victims in need of support, please contact the Blackburn Center at 1-888-832-2272.