COVID Comeback? FLiRT Variant on the Rise

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Many Americans have unfortunately had to swap their summer getaways for hospital stays amid recent COVID-19 surges.

“FLiRT” is a nickname referring to an entire family of different variants (including KP.2, JN.1.7, and any other variants starting with KP or JN). Health official released data proving the increased spread of FLiRT since the start of 2024, and an exponential increase over the summer.

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Summer 2024

Emergency room visits due to Covid-19 from June 16 through June 22 were up 23.3% from the previous week, according to data posted on the Centers for Disease and Control and Prevention. Also, Covid-19-related hospitalizations during the week of June 9 through 15 were 13.3% higher than they were than the week before. Recall that it can take a week or two after someone gets infected to develop symptoms severe enough to require an emergency room visit or a hospitalization, as reported by Forbes.com

The CDC also reports the viral activity level for Covid-19 in wastewater is reported to be “high” nationally as of July 6.

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Staying Safe

Here are a few ways to keep yourself and others protected from the virus, as recommended by Yale Medicine professionals.

• Opt to wear masks in public places
• Wash hands frequently
• Avoid close contact with others
• Familiarize yourself with COVID-19 symptoms and stay home if you’re feeling sick
• Ventilate properly

In regards to protection from previously approved COVID-19 vaccinations, studies have not yet been done with some of these newer variants, but those are likely to be a little less cross-reactive. It’s also been several months since many people received their last dose of the vaccine, and that immunity wanes over time (Johns Hopkins).

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