Are we “FLiRTing” with a spike in cases? Experts weigh in.
A new set of Covid-19 variants, nicknamed “FLiRT,” are circulating here in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
One of the strains, KP.2, has become the dominant variant in recent weeks. How concerned should we be about these new mutations and could they spark a summer surge? Here’s what we know so far.
What are the FLiRT Covid-19 variants?
KP.2 and KP.1.1 are known as the FLiRT strains. It’s not just a catchy nickname though; it’s derived from the technical names of their mutations.
KP.2 became the most common variant in the U.S. late last month. Previously, JN.1, which emerged last fall and made up about 80 percent of cases in February, had been the dominant strain. KP.2 now accounts for about 28 percent of Covid-19 cases, though currently experts don’t expect the FLiRT variants to cause a spike this summer.
“I don’t think that we’ll see any kind of massive surge in cases,” Andrew Pekosz, Ph.D., a virologist at Johns Hopkins, told TODAY.
The FLiRT strains are Omicron subvariants and descended from JN.1, but what sets them apart is the three changes they have on their spike proteins — structures that cover the virus and allow them to latch onto cells and cause infection, early research indicates.
Do the current Covid vaccines protect against the FLiRT variants?
The current set of shots does offer some protection, but some studies suggest that KP.2 and KP.1.1 may be better at dodging the immunity the vaccines provide than earlier strains.
“Protection is not zero, but it’s not quite as good as it was before,” William Schaffner, M.D., a professor of preventive medicine at Vanderbilt, told Prevention.
The most recent booster shot was formulated to knock out XBB.1.5, a variant that spread widely early last year. However, the World Health Organization recently recommended that the new shots target JN.1 and its descendants, which include the FLiRT strains.
What are the symptoms of the FLiRT variants?
Experts say it’s too early to say yet, but that the FLiRT variants likely won’t cause significantly different symptoms than earlier versions of the virus.
The following are the most common Covid-19 symptoms, according to the CDC:
- Fever or chills
- Cough
- Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
- Fatigue
- Muscle or body aches
- Headache
- New loss of taste or smell
- Sore throat
- Congestion or runny nose
- Nausea or vomiting
- Diarrhea
