- The COVID-19 cycle is active again with new variants in circulation, KP.2 and KP1.1, which are dubbed ‘FLiRT’ variants and are descendants of the Omicron JN.1.
- The downstream variants are linked to new cases and a small surge in hospitalisation in the U.S., according to the Infectious Disease Society of America (IDSA).
- FLiRT cases have also soared in the U.K., South Korea and New Zealand, renewing fears of a fresh COVID-19 wave.
- The Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG) has detected 238 cases of KP.2 and 30 cases of KP1.1 circulating in India.
- The new variants appear to outstrip their ancestor and other Omicron variants.
- KP.2, the more dominant strain of the two, in particular, is believed to leap past immunity built up from vaccines and previous infections.
| Thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome (TTS): A rare severe complication, AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine, ChAdOx1-nCoV19 (Covishield in India), might rarely cause blood clots, affecting about 1 to 2 individuals per 100,000, primarily healthy young women around 30, has been known since March 2021.Despite these rare cases, Covishield offers over 80% protection against severe COVID-19 and 90% against death, particularly during the Delta variant surge.Countries like the UK, USA, Australia, and some European nations discontinued ChAdOx1-nCoV19 due to available mRNA vaccines, which are more immunogenic and not linked to TTS but associated with non-fatal myocarditis. Conversely, India continued using Covishield due to the urgent need for vaccines and slow Covaxin production, which involves complex processes.Top of Form |
The FLiRT variants reframe COVID-19 management as a longer affair, one that demands sustained surveillance, customising precautions and ensuring universal protection for the vulnerable.
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