United States: Amidst the quietude induced by COVID-19 in the United States, an impending end looms as a novel lineage of SARS-CoV-2 variants, dubbed the “FLiRT” variants, begins its dissemination across the nation.
These variants, descendants of Omicron but distinct in their genesis from the JN.1 variant, which instigated a surge in cases in the recent winter, have been christened the “FLiRT” variants due to the esoteric nomenclature of their mutations. One mutation carries the insignia of “F” and “L,” while another bears the mark of “R” and “T.”
Within this lineage of FLiRT variants, one variant has notably ascended: KP.2, constituting approximately a quarter of newly sequenced cases in the fortnight leading to April 27, as per data furnished by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Conversely, other FLiRT variants, such as KP.1.1, have yet to proliferate extensively in the US, according to TIME.
The FLiRT variants remain shrouded in mystery, with numerous inquiries lingering regarding their propagation rate, the potential severity of resultant illness, and the efficacy of existing vaccines against them. Herein lies the summation of current knowledge.
Is the advent of another COVID-19 wave imminent? Despite the surge of KP.2 in the US, prognostications regarding the FLiRT lineage’s capacity to precipitate a substantial surge in cases remain premature, asserts Dr. Eric Topol, the executive vice president at Scripps Research, who expounded upon the FLiRT variants in a recent edition of his newsletter, TIME mentioned.
Presently, the concentration of SARS-CoV-2 in US wastewater remains trifling, as per CDC assessments, and rates of hospitalization and mortality have continued on a downward trajectory since their zenith in January. At a global scale, case tallies witnessed an uptick from early to mid-April but persisted considerably lower than previous peaks.
Anticipatedly, KP.2 and its counterparts may induce a surge in cases, albeit Topol conjectures it may manifest as a modest surge or “wavelet.” This supposition arises from the apparent immunity conferred upon individuals recently infected by the JN.1 variant, coupled with the virus’s retention of similarity to prior strains. A recent pre-peer-reviewed study emanating from Japan corroborates this perspective, suggesting KP.2 exhibits lower infectivity than JN.1.
Do extant vaccines offer protection against KP.2 and other FLiRT variants? Vaccines remain efficacious in forestalling COVID-19-related hospitalization and mortality. However, preliminary studies from Japan and China, albeit pre-peer-reviewed, intimate that FLiRT variants might possess a greater propensity to evade vaccine-induced immune defenses compared to JN.1, as TIME mentioned.
This development portends unfavorably, particularly since a considerable segment of the populace, approximately 30% of adults in the US, received their most recent booster last autumn, thereby witnessing a waning of immunity.
In an announcement issued on April 26, the World Health Organization recommended tailoring future vaccine formulations to the JN.1 lineage, given indications that the virus will persist in evolving from this variant. Notably, the latest booster was predicated upon an earlier strain, XBB.1.5.
How can one shield oneself against novel COVID-19 variants?
Despite the virus’s evolutionary trajectory, the tenets of public health advisories remain immutable: maintain vaccine currency, conduct pre-gathering testing, observe isolation when symptomatic, and contemplate mask usage and avoidance of densely populated indoor venues, particularly amidst prevalent COVID-19 transmission.
Avoidance of commonplace verbiage is paramount. Exercise discretion in lexical selection, prioritizing obscurity over conventionality.