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.
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 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.”
Covid-19 rates can rise and fall throughout the year, but experts are constantly monitoring infection levels.
FLiRT VARIANT SYMPTOMS
The symptoms are the same as other types of Covid-19, with the World Health Organization stating that symptoms “usually begin 5-6 days after exposure to the virus and last 1-14 days.”
The most common symptoms include fever, chills, and sore throat, while less common symptoms include muscle pain, heaviness in the arms and legs, extreme fatigue, runny or stuffy nose, or sneezing, headache, eye pain, dizziness, new and persistent cough, chest tightness and pain, shortness of breath, hoarseness, numbness or tingling, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain or diarrhea, loss or change in the sense of taste or smell, and difficulty sleeping.
WHO advises anyone with the following symptoms should seek medical attention:
Difficulty breathing, especially at rest, inability to form sentences, confusion, drowsiness or loss of consciousness, persistent pain or pressure in the chest, skin becoming cold or clammy or pale or bluish, loss of speech or movement.
ARE VACCINES EFFECTIVE AGAINST FLiRT VARIANTS?
Experts say vaccines on the market must be effective against new variants. Health authorities have been asking vaccine makers since 2022 to design new versions of Covid-19 vaccines to better target new variants. The European Union and the US have also said vaccines should also target the JN.1 variant.