A new variant of the coronavirus dominates the United States as experts warn of a possible “summer wave” of COVID-19 cases.
Nicknamed “FLiRT,” due to the position of mutations in its spike proteins, the new class of COVID subvariants has spread across the United States.
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In May, one of those new variants appeared, called KP. 2, the most dominant strain of SARS-CoV-2 in the United States, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. However, since early In June, a new FLiRT variant, called KP. 3, has taken the lead and now accounts for 25 percent of COVID-19 cases in the United States. It is closely followed by KP. 2, which represents 22. 5% of cases. Training
So we worry about these new variants?
“KP. 2 and KP. 3 are descendants of the JN. 1 subvariant [which is the main viral lineage circulating last winter] and belong to the FLiRT circle of genetic modifications,” said Adrian Esterman, an epidemiologist and professor of biostatistics. at the University of South Australia, he told Newsweek.
“They are very important in terms of severity of the disease and ability to evade our immune system.
“The difference between them is that KP. 3 has an additional mutation called F456L, in the spike protein. This mutation makes it less difficult for the virus to bind to our ACE2 receptors (this is called binding affinity), making it makes it more infectious. That’s why KP. 3 is starting to dominate now. “
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So what effect does this have on vaccines?
“Although the FLiRT subvariants are now genetically distant from the XBB subvariants (the existing vaccine is based on XBB. 1. 5), the vaccine will still give some cross-immunity against them,” Esterman said.
“[However] around September a new vaccine will be available, based on JN. 1 or one of the FLiRT subvariants, which will offer much greater protection. “
As for the severity of the disease, William Schaffner of Vanderbilt University told Today that based on what we’ve noticed so far, the new FLiRT variants don’t cause severe disease. However, as we have observed in recent years, viruses can evolve rapidly.
At this time, Schaffner said the new variants will cause “very unique symptoms. “
According to the CDC, COVID-19 symptoms to watch for include:
Currently, CDC data suggests that while COVID-19 infections are expanding in the United States, deaths and hospitalizations are declining.
“We want to continue to monitor the spread of this variant,” Lawrence Young, a virus expert and professor of molecular oncology at the University of Warwick in the United Kingdom, previously told Newsweek.
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Updated 06/13/2024 at 5:05 a. m. m. ET: This article has been updated to include Professor Esterman’s exclusive commentary.
Pandora Dewan is a senior science reporter at Newsweek, founded in London, United Kingdom. It focuses on informing about science, fitness, and technology. Pandora joined Newsweek in 2022 and in the past worked as head of content for climate education startup ClimateScience and as a freelancer for content creators such as Dr. Karan Rajan and Thoughty2. He holds a bachelor’s degree in biological sciences from the University of Oxford. Languages: English.
You can tap Pandora by emailing p. dewan@newsweek. com or on Twitter @dewanpandora.
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