New COVID Variant Could Cause Uptick In Cases In CA: What To Know

CALIFORNIA — The new KP.2 variant nicknamed FLiRT could cause an uptick in COVID-19 cases in California and around the country this summer, disease experts are warning.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data released Friday showed the KP.2 variant represents 28 percent of new COVID infections from April 14-27, up from just 6 percent.

The variants collectively known as FLiRT include KP.2 and another variant, KP.1.1, both of which are descendants of JN.1. They share the same mutation, changes in the spike protein that allows the virus to colonize in the body and make people sick.

In California, the KP.2 variant was responsible for 6.3 percent of COVID cases between April 27-May 5, according to the CDC.

The nickname FLiRT references the technical names of its mutations, F4561 and R346T, and are part of SARS-CoV-2’s Omicron lineage.

The CDC said there is no indication people will get any sicker with KP.2 than with other strains. The KP.2 variant overtook JN.1 as the dominant strain. Symptoms are similar, although the CDC cautioned they may vary among people and may change with new variants.

Laboratory research from Japan, which has not yet been peer-reviewed and was published as a preprint, suggests the mutations may be able to bypass vaccines.

“It looks like those additional mutations make it more immune evasive, so it’s not a surprise that it would then dominate,” Dr. Dan Barouch, director of the Center for Virology and Vaccine Research at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, told NBC News.

According to research from Japan, the KP.2 variant may be less efficient than its predecessors in infecting cells. The current vaccines should provide some protection against KP.2, according to experts.

However, vaccine coverage is waning nationwide, with only 22.6 percent of U.S. adults currently protected by the updated 2023-24 COVID-19 vaccine rolled out in September 2023, according to CDC data. Vaccine protection increased by age groups, with the highest coverage among adults 75 and older.

As of March in California, approximately 17 percent of adults are protected by the updated vaccine.

Hospitalizations for COVID-19 reached record lows in April, and the CDC no longer requires hospitals to report admissions numbers. Experts say that while serious cases requiring hospitalization may increase this summer, as they have every summer since the pandemic began in 2020, the rise won’t be nearly as dramatic.

According to the California Department of Public Health, thus far in May, 2.7 percent of those tested for the virus have tested positive.

The CDC updated its COVID-19 guidance in March, ending its recommendation that people who test positive for the virus isolate for five days. However, the agency still recommends that people take precautions to prevent the spread of COVID, or any other common respiratory disease, including staying home when they’re sick, staying up-to-date on vaccines and properly washing their hands.