COVID-19 variants called 'FLiRT' continue to spread across the US, CDC says

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Virus remains a public health threat that people should be aware of

Computer graphic image of a virus as seen like through a microscope. (Yuichiro Chino, Yuichiro Chino)

A new group of COVID-19 variants is spreading across the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The CDC mentions that a set of variants, nicknamed "FLiRT," is now the dominant strain in the country.

CDC data shows that KP.2, one of the variants of FLiRT, is responsible for about one in four infections currently in the U.S.

The KP.2 variant could potentially be more dangerous than previous variants of COVID-19, according to WFTV 9 News.

Megan L. Ranney, MD, Dean of the Yale School of Public Health, told WebMD that FLiRT has some alarming features, such as changes in spike protein, which assist SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19 to take over a person's body.

The CDC notes that despite the drop in severe cases, COVID-19 remains a public health threat that people should be aware of.

It is recommended that individuals over the age of 65 receive another dose of the updated COVID-19 vaccine.

What are the symptoms of the FLiRT variants?

About the Author

Spencer Heath

Spencer Heath is a Digital Journalist at KSAT. Spencer graduated from the University of Texas at Austin, where he studied Radio-Television-Film. He's worked as a journalist in San Antonio since June of 2022. Outside the newsroom, he enjoys watching movies and spending time with family.

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