SARS-COV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, keeps churning out new variants. The latest is a duo, KP.2 and KP.1.1, known as the FLiRT variants, and theyre sparking speculation about a summer wave of new COVID-19 infections.
One FLiRT variant, KP.2 is now the dominant variant in the U.S., and its been quickly increasing in cases over the past few weeks. KP.2 now makes up nearly 25% of COVID-19 cases in the U.S., according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Meet the experts: Thomas Russo, M.D., professor and chief of infectious disease at the University at Buffalo in New York; Amesh A. Adalja, M.D., senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security
But KP.2s sister variant KP.1.1 is also rising in the ranks and currently makes up 7.5% of COVID-19 cases in the country. So, what are the FLiRT variants and how concerned should you be? Infectious disease doctors break down the latest COVID-19 strains.
The FLiRT variants are the collective name given to KP.2 and KP.1.1. These are descendants of JN.1.11.1, a spinoff of JN.1, which was the most common variant in the U.S. until last week, explains Thomas Russo, M.D., professor and chief of infectious disease at the University at Buffalo in New York.
The name FLiRT isnt randomits based on the technical names for their mutations, according to the Infectious Disease Society of America (IDSA). These are part of the Omicron family, Dr. Russo says. Theyre like siblings.
Theres not a lot of detail about these variants available at the moment, but preliminary research shows that KP.2 has three changes in its spike protein compared to JN.1, Dr. Russo says. (In case youre not familiar, the spike protein is what SARS-CoV-2 uses to latch onto your cells and infect you.)
Its worth pointing out that the portion of cases caused by KP.2 is increasing while the portion of cases caused by other variants is decreasing. That implies that there is something about KP.2 that gives it an advantage over the others, Dr. Russo says.
It looks like KP.2 is less infectious than JN.1 but more immune evasive, which is why its increasing in prevalence, Dr. Russo says.
As of now, doctors say theres nothing to suggest that the FLiRT variants are any more concerning to the general population than other recent COVID-19 variants. However, Dr. Schaffner points out that there is some early data that show KP.2 may be able to evade the protection from the vaccine a little more than previous COVID vaccines. (More on that in a moment.)
As SARS-CoV2 continues to circulate, it will always be generating new variants, says infectious disease expert Amesh A. Adalja, M.D., senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security.
Doctors say thats pretty tough. Theres nothing that you or your doctor would notice that would indicate that you have a FLiRT variant as opposed to another COVID-19 variant, Dr. Russo says.
In fact, the only way that the CDC has data on different variants is through genomic sequencing, which looks at the genetic code of the virus to see which variant you haveand thats not something youd get from even the best at-home COVID-19 tests or that your doctor would get from a rapid test in their office.
Doctors say its hard to tell for sure right now, but Dr. Schaffner points out that previous variants havent looked that different when it comes to symptoms, either.
According to the CDC, these are the most common symptoms of COVID-19:
Still, the loss of taste and smell seems less common now, Dr. Schaffner says. It could be because of changes in the virus itself or because people have developed more immunity, either through vaccinations or being infected, he says. Were all experienced now with COVID, he adds.
Yes, the COVID-19 vaccine is protective against the FLiRT variants, although there is data to suggest that it might not be as effective as its been against other strains.
It may be off to the side a little bit in regards to protection from the vaccine, Dr. Schaffner says. Protection is not zero, but its not quite as good as it was before.
If youre in a high-risk group and you havent gotten the updated vaccine, Dr. Schaffner recommends getting it to increase your protection throughout the summer. For sure when the new vaccine comes out in the fall, we should all get it, he says.
Thats not clear. This is still very early days, Dr. Schaffner says. As of right now, there is no indication that the FLiRT variants are any more risky for developing long COVID than other variants. However, that may change over time.
The FLiRT variants are just the latest in a long line of new variants that have surfaced from SARS-CoV-2. These strains are new to the scene and researchers are still learning more about them. However, they do seem to be more infectious than previous variants.
If you have symptoms of COVID-19, doctors recommend testing yourself and doing your best to prevent the spread of the virus, especially if you spend time around people who are high risk for severe complications of the virus. Were underestimating the severity of COVID, Dr. Russo says. Stay up to date with the latest COVID guidelines and if you test positive, wear a well-fitting mask to protect others.
This article is accurate as of press time. However, as the COVID-19 pandemic rapidly evolves and the scientific communitys understanding of the coronavirus develops, some of the information may have changed since it was last updated. While we aim to keep all of our stories up to date, please visit online resources provided by the CDC, WHO, and your local public health department to stay informed on the latest news. Always talk to your doctor for professional medical advice.
Korin Miller is a freelance writer specializing in general wellness, sexual health and relationships, and lifestyle trends, with work appearing in Mens Health, Womens Health, Self, Glamour, and more. She has a masters degree from American University, lives by the beach, and hopes to own a teacup pig and taco truck one day.
Representative Image
In the early months of 2020, the world was thrust into an unprecedented crisis: the COVID-19 pandemic. With limited understanding of the novel coronavirus and high uncertainty, nations grappled with the sudden onslaught of a formidable adversary. Waves of infections surged across continents, each bringing devastating consequences. However, thanks to the deployment of vaccinations and the implementation of lockdowns, the world eventually began to emerge from the turmoil.
Despite progress, the battle against COVID-19 continues as new variants, such as 'FLiRT,' persist in challenging global health systems.
FLiRT variants are sub-lineages of the Omicron COVID-19 variant, named for the mutations they bear. Notable among them are KP.2 and KP.1.1, which possess new mutations making them more contagious than earlier Omicron strains.
Recent data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicates that KP.2 is responsible for approximately one in four infections across the U.S., while KP.1.1, though less prevalent, still accounts for about 7.5% of infections.
Symptoms associated with FLiRT are similar to those of other Omicron subvariants, including sore throat, cough, fatigue, nasal congestion, runny nose, headache, muscle aches, fever, and possible loss of taste and smell, as outlined by experts.
FLiRT has led to increased hospitalisation rates, although it has not significantly raised mortality rates. Its primary impact is on the upper respiratory tract.
Until more data on FLiRT becomes available, maintaining vigilance is crucial. Precautionary measures encompass practicing good hand hygiene, wearing masks, observing physical distancing, avoiding large gatherings, staying home when unwell, and prioritising vaccination.
India's commendable success in containing COVID-19 is evident. As of April 21, WHO data recorded approximately 29,294 active cases globally, with Russia reporting the highest number at 16,300 cases. In contrast, as of May 4, India reported only 838 active cases and 1 death.
This achievement underscores the vital role of robust public health measures and vaccination campaigns in curtailing the spread of COVID-19 variants. As the world continues to combat the virus, maintaining steadfast adherence to preventive measures remains imperative for safeguarding public health.
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Mike Pompeo, when he was U.S. secretary of state, shared intel with the United Kingdom during the COVID-19 pandemic suggesting a "high likelihood" that the deadly coronavirus leaked from a Chinese lab, according to The Telegraph.
An intelligence alliance known as "Five Eyes" reportedly met in January 2021 to discuss the lab-leak theory, the outlet reported. Around the same time, Pompeo is said to have shared information from classified American reports put together by the State Department to then-U.K. Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab, as well as representatives from New Zealand, Canada and Australia.
The British newspaper says two former Trump administration officials believe Raab and the U.K. government as a whole ignored the lab leak theory due to pressure from government scientists who leaned toward the theory that the illness had been transferred from animals to humans.
"We saw several pieces of information and thought that they were, frankly, gobsmacking," one former official who worked on the intelligence in Pompeo's report told The Telegraph. "They obviously pointed to the high likelihood that this was indeed a lab leak."
HOUSE COVID COMMITTEE CALLING FOR CRIMINAL PROBE INTO GAIN-OF-FUNCTION VIRUS RESEARCH IN WUHAN
Security personnel stand guard outside the Wuhan Institute of Virology as members of the World Health Organization (WHO) investigate the origins of the COVID-19 coronavirus in China on Feb. 3, 2021. (Hector Retamal/AFP via Getty Images)
The reports, consisting of information collected in the early days of the pandemic, were also shared with the U.K. via Five Eyes between October and December 2020. Five Eyes consists of Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States.
Information in one document obtained by The Telegraph states U.S. officials accused Chinese officials of "stonewalling," as well as "gross corruption and ineptitude." The information also reportedly showed that the Chinese military had been working with the Wuhan Institute of Virology for years before the pandemic, and that lab researchers got sick soon before COVID-19 was first reported in the area.
ECOHEALTH ALLIANCE PRESIDENT TO TESTIFY ON COVID ORIGINS, WUHAN LAB TAXPAYER-FUNDED RESEARCH
A researcher works in a lab in Wuhan in central China, Oct. 12, 2021. (Feature China/Future Publishing via Getty Images)
On May 1, the U.S. House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic called for a criminal probe into the origins of the COVID-19 virus.
The demands for an investigation come after the release of an interim staff report accusing EcoHealth Alliance President Dr. Peter Daszak of funding "dangerous gain-of-function research in Wuhan, China, without sufficient oversight."
EcoHealth Alliance is a non-governmental organization based in the United States and focused on researching pandemic prevention.
This aerial view shows the P4 laboratory, center, on the campus of the Wuhan Institute of Virology. (Hector Retamal/AFP via Getty Images)
According to congressional lawmakers, EcoHealth used taxpayer dollars "to fund dangerous gain-of-function research at the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV)" in China.
The NGO disputes that claim.
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Fox News Digital previously reported that EcoHealth Alliance received millions of dollars in grants from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and that U.S. taxpayer funds flowed to Chinese entities conducting coronavirus research through EcoHealth Alliance.
Fox News' Timothy H.J. Nerozzi and Brooke Singman contributed to this report.
A new group of COVID variants are circulating in the U.S., according to tracking by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The family of variant, called FLiRT, after their mutations, are now the dominant strains in the U.S. One of the variants, KP.2, accounts for about 25% of all current infections in the U.S. Another FLiRT variant, KP.1.1, accounts for about 7.5%, behind only three JN strains, one of which, JN.1, was the predominant strain in the U.S. before being overtaken by KP.2.
The FLiRT variants KP.2 and KP.1.1 appear to be highly transmissible, TODAY reported, with current vaccines and immunity from prior infection believed to only provide partial protection, experts said.
Such changes are to be expected, according to the CDC.
Viruses constantly change through mutation and sometimes these mutations result in a new variant of the virus. Some changes and mutations allow the virus to spread more easily or make it resistant to treatments or vaccines. As the virus spreads, it may change and become harder to stop, the agency said on its website.
The symptoms appear to be similar to those caused by JN.1, which includes:
COVID patients have reported a wide range of symptoms from mild to severe, typically appearing 2-14 days after exposure.
Two new omicron subvariants have gained such prevalence in the U.S. that they now account for most of COVID-19 infections in the nation.
According to reports by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Infectious Diseases Society of America the new Omicron JN.1 subvariants, known as KP.2 and KP.1.1 and nicknamed "FLiRT, account for 25% and 7.5% of the current COVID cases in the U.S., respectively.
The IDSA says that current data shows that JN.1 is highly effective at evading the immune system, even more so than other omicron variants, which is why is leading to a higher rate of transmission.
"SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, is constantly changing and accumulating mutations in its genetic code over time. New variants of SARS-CoV-2 are expected to continue to emerge," the CDC stated. "Some variants will emerge and disappear, while others will emerge and continue to spread and may replace previous variants."
Both the CDC and IDSA say that while "FLiRT" seems to spread more easily, it doesn't seem to make people sicker than other types of the virus, and it shows similar symptoms as past variants.
The name FLiRT is based on the technical names of their mutations
A new family of Covid-19 variant, FLiRT is spreading fast in the United States. This group of new Covid-19 variants belongs to the Omicron JN.1 lineage. These are the KP.2 and KP 1.1 mutations that are considered to be more infectious than the previous Omicron variants. According to the Infectious Diseases Society Of America (IDSA), the proportion of illnesses caused by KP.2 is rapidly increasing. The other FLiRT variant, KP 1.1 is also circulating in the US.
According to the IDSA, the name FLiRT is based on the technical names of their mutations. Currently, two FLiRT variants have been identified in the US, KP.2 and KP 1.1.
The symptoms for the FLiRT variant remain more or less the same. Sore throat, cough, congestion, fatigue, tiredness, headache, body pain, fever, shortness of breath, diarrhea and possible loss of taste and smell are the common symptoms.
"The variants KP.2 and KP 1.1 have new mutations that make them more contagious than previous Omicron variants. Their symptoms, akin to earlier variants, include fever, cough, and fatigue. However, their heightened transmission rate demands stringent precautions," says Dr. Sushila Kataria, Senior Director, Internal Medicine at Medanta, Gurugram.
The severity of these symptoms usually depends on underlying health conditions and current immunity status.
The current spread in the US is raising concern about a new wave of infection in summer. Unvaccinated individuals and those with compromised immunity are more vulnerable to these mutations.
"The variant spreads easily through respiratory droplets, posing risks to all, especially the unvaccinated and those with compromised immunity. With subtle genetic differences, FLiRT diverges from earlier variants, requiring tailored management techniques," Dr Kataria adds.
The FLiRT variants have not been detected in India yet. Moreover, in the US, no significant rise in hospitalisation has been reported.
"It's a small surge, and there is no need to panic. We should stay vigilant and ensure enhanced testing, targeted vaccinations, and continued adherence to preventive measures are necessary to prevent transmission. We should adhere to Covid-friendly protocols, i.e., washing hands properly, wearing masks, people of certain age groups such as children and the elderly should pay extra attention, as should people with comorbid conditions," informs Dr Kataria.
(Dr. Sushila Kataria, Senior Director, Internal Medicine, Medanta, Gurugram)
Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for a qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.
Researchers working on a near-universal coronavirus vaccine that could stop outbreaks before they get started have reported success in mice. The vaccine confers immunity against the original SARS virus, despite it not being one of the viruses used to build it.
There's little doubt that plenty of viruses currently circulating in animals will one day make the jump to humans. Moreover, viruses that have already made that leap will continue to mutate, creating new versions that will evade existing immunity. In a more connected world, such diseases have the potential to spread, and even kill, much faster.
Swifter processes to produce new vaccines may help, but it's never great to be playing catch up. The solution lies in proactive vaccinology, finding ways to protect against viruses that don't yet exist or have not yet infected humans. Although we can never know with certainty the effectiveness of such a vaccine until the virus emerges, Dr Rory Hills of the University of Cambridge and colleagues hope to have something that would provide reasonable confidence.
Our focus is to create a vaccine that will protect us against the next coronavirus pandemic, and have it ready before the pandemic has even started, Hills, first author of the new study, said in a statement. Weve created a vaccine that provides protection against a broad range of different coronaviruses including ones we dont even know about yet.
Defending against a truly new type of virus, one with no cousins already infecting humans, could be an almost impossible task. Threats like that are rare, however. Almost all the diseases that plague humanity have close relatives, most notably in the case of coronaviruses.
We dont have to wait for new coronaviruses to emerge. We know enough about coronaviruses, and different immune responses to them, that we can get going with building protective vaccines against unknown coronaviruses now, said Cambridge's Professor Mark Howarth.
Their experimental vaccine is called a Quartet Nanocage. At its core is a ball of tightly-bound nanoparticles to which viral antigen chains are attached with a type of "protein glue" they and their colleagues created.
Exposure to these chains trains the immune system to target regions of coronaviruses that remain consistent across multiple varieties.
The team of researchers is hardly alone in attempting to produce a proactive coronavirus vaccine. A few scientists have been working on the idea since the original SARS outbreak in 2003, and inevitably efforts accelerated with the COVID-19 pandemic and the vaccine-making advances that came with it.
However, the researchers claim their approach is simpler to develop than alternatives. That may sound unlikely, since they are using an array of antigens rather than just one, but if they're right it could make for a more rapid progress, particularly now its promise has been demonstrated.
The team used Receptor-Binding Domains (RBDs) from the Spikes of four coronaviruses, including the original Wuhan strain of COVID-19 for injection into mice. They compared this with alternative approaches that used some of the same technology but lacked key stages of the process. Although all the methods tested produced an array of antibodies, the Quartet Nanocage produced both the broadest and strongest response.
Crucially, the resulting antibodies were able to neutralize the original SARS1 virus. Replacing the Wuhan strain in the vaccine with the Kraken version of Omicron demonstrated the capacity to neutralize the original. Similarly, a version where an RBD from the original SARS1 virus was used proved effective against currently circulating variants. The broadening of responses also worked for mice whose immune systems had previously been primed with the Wuhan spike, indicating the approach could be helpful for people who have already received other COVID vaccines, or been infected.
As the authors note, medical technologies that work in mice do not always translate to humans. Moreover, even if some protection is provided, the extent of that protection is not known, and probably can't be until the relevant virus emerges. Nevertheless, a widespread vaccine that reduces infections even modestly might have been all we needed in the early days of the pandemic to prevent it from running out of control.
Perhaps most importantly, the same basic technique may prove applicable to other families of viruses, such as influenza.
The study is published in the journal Nature Nanotechnology.
The new vaccine is much simpler in design (Representational)
A team of scientists from the world's leading universities have developed a new all-in-one vaccine that they hope can protect humans against a broad range of coronaviruses, including ones that are yet to emerge.
The research published in 'Nature Nanotechnology' on Monday is based on a new approach to vaccine development called "proactive vaccinology", where scientists build a vaccine before the disease-causing pathogen even emerges, which has shown promising results in mice.
The study by the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge in the UK and Caltech in the US says the vaccine works by training the body's immune system to recognise specific regions of eight different coronaviruses, including SARS-CoV-2 which caused the COVID-19 outbreak, and several that are currently circulating in bats and have potential to jump to humans and cause a pandemic.
"Our focus is to create a vaccine that will protect us against the next coronavirus pandemic, and have it ready before the pandemic has even started," said Rory Hills, a graduate researcher in the University of Cambridge's Department of Pharmacology and first author of the report.
For example, the new vaccine does not include the SARS-CoV-1 coronavirus, which caused the 2003 SARS outbreak, yet it still induces an immune response to that virus.
"We've created a vaccine that provides protection against a broad range of different coronaviruses - including ones we don't even know about yet," said Hills.
Key to its effectiveness is that the specific virus regions the vaccine targets also appear in many related coronaviruses. By training the immune system to attack these regions, it gives protection against other coronaviruses not represented in the vaccine, including ones that haven't even been identified yet.
"We don't have to wait for new coronaviruses to emerge. We know enough about coronaviruses, and different immune responses to them, that we can get going with building protective vaccines against unknown coronaviruses now," said Professor Mark Howarth in the University of Cambridge's Department of Pharmacology, senior author of the report.
"Scientists did a great job in quickly producing an extremely effective COVID vaccine during the last pandemic, but the world still had a massive crisis with a huge number of deaths. We need to work out how we can do even better than that in the future, and a powerful component of that is starting to build the vaccines in advance," he said.
The new 'Quartet Nanocage' vaccine is based on a structure called a nanoparticle - a ball of proteins held together by incredibly strong interactions. Chains of different viral antigens are attached to this nanoparticle using a novel "protein superglue". Multiple antigens are included in these chains, which trains the immune system to target specific regions shared across a broad range of coronaviruses.
The latest study demonstrated that the new vaccine raises a broad immune response, even in mice that were pre-immunised with SARS-CoV-2.
The new vaccine is much simpler in design than other broadly protective vaccines currently in development, which the researchers believe should accelerate its route into clinical trials.
The underlying technology that the scientific collaboration has developed also has potential for use in vaccine development to protect against many other health challenges. It is said to improve on previous work, by the Oxford and Caltech groups, to develop a novel all-in-one vaccine against coronavirus threats.
According to experts, conventional vaccines include a single antigen to train the immune system to target a single specific virus, which may not protect against a diverse range of existing coronaviruses or against pathogens that are newly emerging.
The latest research was funded by the UK's Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
Not all MEPs have participated equally in the potential bonanza. Transparency International found that MEPs on the political right and center were more likely to take cash, and earn more, than those on the left. (Top outside earner Uspaskich isnt aligned with any political group since being kicked out of Renew in 2021 for making comments the liberal group deemed homophobic.)
MEPs raking in the cash include Geoffroy Didier, a French MEP with the conservative European Peoples Party. He makes 115,200 a year working for a law firm, CARLARA, which boasts offices in Paris and Brussels. The firms specialties, according to its website, include the life sciences and chemicals sectors, litigation related to EU regulation and assistance to EU public authorities before and after regulations.
Didier did not respond to questions about how he avoids conflicts related to his legislative duties, which includes membership on the European Parliaments Committee on Legal Affairs and substitute membership of the Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection.
Socialist and Democrat MEP Marek Belka, a former prime minister and finance minister of Poland, rakes in more than 21,000 annually giving speeches. Board memberships round out the rest of his 105,418 in extra income. They include the Polish branch of the Vienna Insurance Group, which is registered to lobby the institutions.
In an email, Belka acknowledged there could be some overlap with the insurance sector and his work on the European Parliaments Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs. Yet Belka advises VIG only on finances and management, not lobbying, he said, noting a very strict internal code of conduct to avoid conflicts, such as eschewing rapporteur roles and voting only the S&D party line on insurance files.
When it comes to potential conflicts between my side jobs and my work in Parliament, I make sure that this does not happen, he said.
Then the demand wasnt so overwhelming anymore.
According to research company Statista, the global hand-sanitizer market boomed by 500% in 2020 to $6.3 billion in revenue from $1.03 billion in 2019. But as the pandemic subsided, so did sales: $3.5 billion in 2021, and hovering around $3 billion for the next couple of years.
So, what happened to all those startups? Heres a look at three of them.
Amy Welsman was inspired to rework sanitizer before the pandemic hitwhen she became a new mom in 2019. Welsman, who previously handled an array of jobs for womens intimates brand Knix, found the sanitizers on the market harsh and off-putting, and she didnt want it on her hands when she changed her baby. Her idea: sanitizer with a better scent and ingredients that nourished the skin, sold in more environmentally friendly packages.
By the time she launched her startup, Paume, in 2021, the pandemic was at its height. I was planning to make utilitarian handsanitizera luxurious beauty productsomethingtotally new," she says. As I was developing the product, the pandemic hit, and thesanitizercategory changed overnight."
With demand for sanitizer soaring, she decided to reach out to a wider base of customers than just new moms.
The company garnered some attention in the media and attracted a loyal following, Welsman says. But overall marketing to a broad market was tough in the early days," she says. There was a backlash in the hand-sanitizer industry, where people would say, I never want to see it again. "
So, Welsman decided to focus her efforts on the group that originally inspired Paumenew moms. They care about hand hygiene and minimizing the spread of germs in their families. They also want products to make you feel good," she says.
The strategy worked. Paumes revenue grew 40% in 2022 to $570,000as the company expanded beyond sanitizer into the hand-care category. Revenuereached over$1.5 millionin 2023 and is on track to double again this year,Welsman says, and the company has launched six new products, including a nail and cuticle cream. The company also secured retail partnerships with stores including Holt Renfrew and Bluemercury.
Despite what most people would assume, we have seen our most significant growth in the last year," she says.
Charles Robinson was a philosophy student at University College Londonand not enjoying it," he sayswhen the pandemic hit. The situation led him down an improbable new path: the sanitizer business.
It was primarily born out of a personal necessity to do something meaningful with my life in the first lockdown," says Robinson. Therewasnta business plan or any market research, nor am I passionate about hand sanitizer. I just loved the idea of doing something better, both for myself and the people who needed help."
His idea was inspired by products like scented cards designed to freshen up vehicles. He started asking himself, Could you put hand sanitizer in a card like this?Who would buy them? Couldyoucustom brand them?"
Robinson launchedGelcardin April 2020, using part of his student loan to get the company rolling. He says the products, which people can snap in half to release sanitizer, were profitable right away, netting $250,000 from summer 2020 to summer 2022, selling to businesses that could put their brands on the products.
Logistics was a problem at the start: Factories were closing in Europe during the pandemic, but Robinson found a manufacturer in Milan. I saw a similar technology on the marketand wanted to replicate it by putting handsanitizerinside, so I found the supplierand called them up," he says. It was as simple as a few Google searches and a phone call. Ididnteven fly as it was during Covid."
But as the pandemic wound down, he faced a more serious challenge: His market was drying up.
2022 was tough in Europelook around any public place, the social architecture is virtually identical to 2019 with no face masks, no hand-sanitizer stations, no social distancing," he says.
So Robinson looked beyond Europe to Japan and markets in the Middle East. Those cultures are much more conscious about self-hygieneeven before Covid, some people were wearing masks, and there were sanitizers in restaurants," he says. He opened an office in Tokyo in September 2022 and one in Kuwait the following year.
Robinson has signed renowned restaurants in Tokyo and Kuwait to providethecardsat the table as part of a place setting.Over 50% of revenue in the past 12 months has come from Japan and the Middle East, with 40% from the U.K. and 10% from the rest of Europe. The cardsalso sell to businesses that can put their logos on the product to give away to clients, for instance.
Robinson plans to launch Gelcard2made entirely of paperthis year. He says he makes a good butmodestliving," while reinvesting most of his profitback into Gelcard and his other business, a water-filter startup.
Dawn Andrews says she was making ends meet" with her cosmetics, bath and body business, garb2ART, in early 2020. But when the pandemic hit, the Columbus, Ind., companys sales representatives started asking if she could deliver a different kind of product that was heavily in demandsanitizer.
After the thirdconversation, I knew I needed to at least try," she says. I had made hand sanitizer before on a small level for a localhospital gift shop, so I was familiar with the process."
The decision meant investing the last $5,000 I had" in isopropyl alcohol, bottles, sprayers, labels and aloe water, Andrews says. But the prospects for her regular business didnt look good: The demand for her normal products was drying up quickly, and my business would have never survived without taking the chance I did. I had no investor, no cash other than thatzero."
Within days, Andrews says, things got crazy.I went from $400 of orders per day to $40,000 and two employees to 50," she says. We had people and businesses begging us for hand sanitizers."
The boom lasted from March to mid-May of 2020. By then, she says, demand for her sanitizer waned as store shelves started to fill up with competing products, and she was facing fees of $25,000 to formally register her business as a sanitizer manufacturer.
We just werent getting the sales anymore to go to that level long term," Andrews says. We would have stayed if we were busy, but that wasnt the case."
All told, she says, the sales increase brought in about $150,000 in profit, and helped her business stay afloat until gift stores were ordering her old products again. So far, Andrews says, sales for her traditional products in 2024 are about $5,000 a day10 times what they were in January 2020thanks to an increase in wholesale orders. And she anticipates more growth in the year ahead.
Also important, she got a big boost in reputation. At the January 2020 gift trade shows, no one really knew who I was. I had been in business for seven years, but we werent a big player at all," Andrews says, adding, Stepping up and making hand sanitizer during a time of need just let everyone know we are here."
Barbara Haislip is a writer in Chatham, N.J. She can be reached at reports@wsj.com.
