Covid-19, which emerged in 2020, had become the center of our lives. The changes experienced with the pandemic had led to many changes in terms of health, psychology and social aspects. The days when the coronavirus affected our lives are over, but new mutations and variants continue to show their effects. According to the BBC, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced that a new Covid variant group called FLiRT has become dominant worldwide.
IT HAS BECOME A DOMINANT
FLiRT is an informal nickname created using the names of mutations in the genetic code of the variants. It is a derivative of JN.1 that mutated from the Omicron variant and remains dominant.
The spike proteins contain three key mutations that protect them from antibodies, according to Johns Hopkins University.
Public Health England said “more data” was needed to understand how severe and contagious the new variants might be, but said there was no evidence they were more dominant than other variants circulating in the UK.
THE INCREASE WILL CONTINUE
The World Health Organization’s latest report examining infections in May showed that the number of cases fell compared with previous months, although some regions are experiencing an increase.
Regarding the increase, the British Medical Journal said, “The number of people testing positive for SARS-CoV-2 increased in the UK in May and June. Covid-19 cases increased in some parts of Europe. The number of people testing positive in the US is also increasing, with the positivity rate increasing by 1.4 percent in the week of June 22.”