FLiRT COVID-19 variants are spreading: what to know about KP.2 and KP.1.1 strains

Prevention quotes Thomas Russo in an article about the KP.1.1 and KP.2 COVID variants, also known as the FLiRT variant. Russo notes there is not a lot of detail about these variants available at the moment, but preliminary research shows that KP.2 has three changes in its spike protein compared to JN.1. It’s worth pointing out that the portion of cases caused by KP.2 is increasing while the portion of cases caused by other variants is decreasing. That implies that there is something about KP.2 that gives it an advantage over the others, Russo says. “It looks like KP.2 is less infectious than JN.1 but more immune evasive, which is why it’s increasing in prevalence,” Russo says. Russo emphasizes the public is underestimating the severity of COVID and recommends testing yourself and doing your best to prevent the spread of the virus, especially if you spend time around people who are at high risk for severe complications of the virus.