Covid-19 ‘FLiRT’ variants: What you need to know – The Times of India

The relative calm in the US regarding Covid-19 could be disrupted by a new cluster of SARS-CoV-2 variants, collectively known as the "FLiRT" variants. These variants have emerged from the JN.1 lineage, responsible for a surge in Covid-19 cases last winter. The most notable among these, the KP.2 variant, represented approximately 25% of the newly sequenced cases in the last two weeks of April, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). As per a report in the Time magazine, while other variants in the FLiRT family, like KP.1.1, have not yet spread widely in the US, the scientific community is vigilantly monitoring their progression. Understanding the FLiRT Covid-19 variants The "FLiRT" Covid-19 variants represent a group of SARS-CoV-2 mutations that are part of the Omicron family. These variants emerged from a lineage known as JN.1, which was responsible for a notable surge in COVID-19 cases during the previous winter season. The name "FLiRT" comes from the technical names of their specific mutations, where one includes the letters "F" and "L" and another includes "R" and "T." Among the FLiRT variants, KP.2 has become particularly prominent. By the end of April, it accounted for about 25% of new sequenced cases in the United States, as reported by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Other variants within the FLiRT family, such as KP.1.1, have not yet spread as extensively.

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Covid-19 'FLiRT' variants: What you need to know - The Times of India