What is FLiRT, New Covid Variant? 5 Pointer Round-Up About Latest Strain

Anxiety buttons have been triggered as the news of a new Covid strain is making the headlines again. FLiRT is a new set of Covid variants, from the lineage of the highly transmissible and immune system evading Omicron. The FLiRT variants, which majorly include KP.1.1, and KP.2, are named based on the technical names for their mutations, one of which includes the letters “F” and “L”, and another of which includes the letters “R” and “T”. According to data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, KP.2 accounted for about one in four or 25 per cent of new sequenced cases in the country in the last weeks of April.

FLiRT NEW COVID VARIANT: ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW

1. Symptoms of new covid strain are: sore throat, runny nose, congestion, tiredness, fever (with or without chills), headache, muscle pain, and sometimes loss of taste or smell.
2. While the variants are likely to be “more transmissible and defy immunity as compared to previous strains”, they are unlikely to produce severe symptoms in the form of pneumonia”, Dr Dhiren Gupta, Senior Consultant, Dept of Paediatric Pulmonology and Allergy, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, told IANS.
3. The new Covid-19 variant ‘FLiRT’, which is spreading fast in the US, is capable of evading the immune system due to a trans substitution of amino acids between two spike proteins, the experts said on Sunday.
4. FLiRT, which belongs to Omicron’s JN.1 lineage, is rapidly replacing the previous variant, Eris, in the US
5. So, far, experts have asked not to create a wave of panic. Doctors highlight how crucial are lifestyle habits  and how it should be focussed on to prevent contraction of virus. FLiRT has certain concerning features, like change in spike protein, that still need more research to determine its severity.

“Only patients who are having severe uncontrolled comorbidities or chronic lung diseases should be a little precautious about getting infected as it can worsen their existing symptoms,” he added. The mortality rate has not been increased so far.

The new covid strain is being attributed as the cause of rise in cases in US. The hospitalisation rate is also low. But, cases may increase with the rise in temperature. Therefore, until more research and details are studied, experts suggest to keep the health guards up and adhere to Covid protocol.