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A highly contagious variant of Covid, named FLiRT, is seeing a rapid spread across the UK, as cases continue to climb. The feared new strain has taken dominance following a surge in positive tests for the deadly virus. In the final fortnight of April in the US, this particular variant, dubbed KP.
Over the few weeks of April in the US, one of the FLiRT variants, KP.2, caused around 25 per cent of new sequenced cases. The UK has seen the JN. 1 sub variations circulating. The UKHSA reports that KP. 2, among others, is one such variant identified in Britain
Christina Pagel, Professor at University College London, stated: “I think we are the start of a Covid wave driven by the FLiRT variants which are quite likely to be at about 50 per cent of total infections now.”
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Gravely, the UKHSA is maintaining close watch of data related to these evolving variants both domestically and overseas. Vital assessments are being carried out surrounding their severity and how resistant they might be to current vaccines, with the establishment adding: “There is no change to the wider public health advice at this time,”.
There’s also a stark warning from them that reads: “As the virus spreads, it may change and become harder to stop.” For those concerned, symptom recognition of these FLiRT variants can be difficult as they bear such a close resemblance to typical flu symptoms.
Most individuals will recover from their initial symptoms within 12 weeks, but some may experience a more severe illness or have symptoms that last significantly longer. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has indicated that as they gather more data on the new variant, understanding of its interaction with the immune system will improve.
Amesh Adalja, a senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, emphasised the importance of seeking antiviral treatments to the Washington Post: “The key thing to remember is that if you are a high-risk person, these types of variants pose an infection risk,” and added, “And if you have risk factors for severe disease, it’s important for you to be up to date on vaccines and to have plans to procure Paxlovid if you become sick. But that’s the same for every variant.”
Covid-19 symptoms
KP.2 has symptoms similar to earlier versions of the virus, including fever, chills, cough and muscle or body aches. Covid-19 symptoms include:
- a high temperature or shivering (chills) – a high temperature means you feel hot to touch on your chest or back (you do not need to measure your temperature)
- a new, continuous cough – this means coughing a lot for more than an hour, or 3 or more coughing episodes in 24 hours
- a loss or change to your sense of smell or taste
- shortness of breath
- feeling tired or exhausted
- an aching body
- a headache
- a sore throat
- a blocked or runny nose
- loss of appetite
- diarrhoea
- feeling sick or being sick
If you have symptoms of a respiratory infection, such as COVID-19, and you have a high temperature or do not feel well enough to go to work or carry out normal activities, you should avoid contact with vulnerable people and stay at home if possible.
You are no longer required to do a Covid-19 rapid lateral flow test if you have symptoms. But if you or your child have tested positive for Covid-19:
- try to stay at home and avoid contact with other people for 3 days after the day the test was taken if you or your child are under 18 years old – children and young people tend to be infectious to other people for less time than adults
- try to stay at home and avoid contact with other people for 5 days after the day you took your test if you are 18 years old or over
- avoid meeting people who are more likely to get seriously ill from viruses, such as people with a weakened immune system, for 10 days after the day you took your test
