Although the COVID pandemic ended a long time ago, in the minds of the citizens of the world this disease was a nightmare, without even becoming infected. The confinement; remote work; not being able to attend concerts; not being able to travel and having to cancel many social activities; Just as seeing hundreds of people die seems like the description of a horror movie. But this is the review of what the inhabitants of Earth had to go through between 2020 and the beginning of 2022.
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Now, COVID, being a virus, has managed mutate in an incredible way and everything seems to indicate that it will be a disease that will be very complex to eradicate. This is why doctors and health experts warned about the importance of vaccination, and habits that avoid contagion.
According to the pharmaceutical company Pfizer, mutations They occur when a virus replicates and this “gives rise to modifications of the virus and its antigens, among other changes.” This is when it is worrying, because if a mutation generates strong changes in the virus, “vaccines against previous strains and the immunity acquired in previous infections stop working against the new modified strains. Consequently, the person becomes vulnerable to new variants of the virus.”
The above explains the reasons why a new mutation of COVID is known from time to time. The most recent one is called FLiRT. At Caracol Radio we contacted Dr. Matthew Binnicker, director of clinical virology at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, to clarify doubts about this variant. He thus he answered:
What is known about this COVID variant?
Since November 2023, an omicron descendant, known as JN.1, has been the predominant COVID-19 variant circulating in the United States. Recently, two new subvariants of JN.1, known as KP.2 and KP.1.1, are increasing in prevalence.
KP.2 now accounts for approximately 25% to 30% of all COVID-19 cases in the United States. These subvariants are being referred to as FLiRT due to several mutations (a mutation from F, phenylalanine, to L, leucine, and a mutation from R, arginine, to T, threonine) in the gene encoding the spike protein.
These mutations have made these subvariants more evasive and immune; in other words, they can better “escape” existing immunity from prior vaccination or infection.
How contagious is the FLiRT variant?
It is not yet clear whether these subvariants are more contagious, but they appear to be better at evading existing immunity from prior vaccination or infection.
Is the FLiRT variant more dangerous than the original strain of the COVID virus?
These subvariants are not believed to be more dangerous. But if the overall infection rate increases in the population, the chances that people most susceptible to severe illness, for example the elderly or the immunocompromised, will be affected are also increased.
What are the symptoms of the variant FLiRT?
Symptoms are believed to be similar to past variants of COVID-19 and include fever, chills, cough, sore throat, body aches, loss of taste/smell, and general fatigue.
In some patients, more serious illnesses may occur, such as lower respiratory diseases and difficulty breathing.
How can the variant be identified? FLiRT?
Routine COVID-19 testing, including PCR and antigen testing, should continue to detect these new subvariants, but will not differentiate the exact type of subvariant from other circulating SARS-CoV-2 viruses.
In some cases, PCR tests, which include a spike gene target, can have what is called an “S gene skip,” meaning the S gene portion of the test is negative. But these PCR tests typically include other gene targets, which will still be positive.
Currently, the only way to specifically identify these viruses at the subvariant level is perform virus sequencing after a PCR or routine antigen test is positive.
What are the recommendations on this variant, FLiRT?
The most important recommendation is to obtain a updated vaccine against COVID-19, which is designed to provoke a more specific immune response to omicron and its subvariants.
Additionally, if the person has symptoms of COVID-19, they should get tested and stay at home until your symptoms resolve.
If you have to go to public places, you must wear a mask.
