Gold Coast (Australia), we have been living with Covid for more than four years. Although there is still a lot to learn about SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID), at least one thing seems clear: It is here to stay.
From the original Wuhan variant to Delta, Omicron and many other variants, the virus continues to evolve.
New variants have caused repeated waves of infection and challenged doctors and scientists trying to understand the behavior of this changing virus. Now, we are facing a new group of variants, the so-called "FLiRT" variants , which is contributing to the rising wave of COVID infections in Australia and elsewhere.So where do they come from, and are they a cause for concern?
The Omicron lineage FLiRT variants are a group of subvariants of JN.1 from the Omicron lineage.
JN.1 was detected in August 2023 and declared a variant of interest by the World Health Organization in December 2023. By early 2024, it had become the most dominant variant in Australia and the rest of the world, causing large waves of infection. As new variants emerge, scientists are hard at work trying to understand their potential impact. This involves sequencing their genes and assessing their ability to spread, infect and cause disease.In late 2023 scientists detected a range of subtypes of JN.1 in wastewater in the United States. Since then, these JN.1 subvariants, including KP.1.1, KP. and KP.3, have rapidly emerged and become common throughout the world.
But why the name FLiRT? Sequencing of these subvariants revealed several new mutations in the spike protein of the virus, including F456L, V1104L, and R346T. The name FLiRT was coined by combining the letters in these mutations.The spike protein is an important protein on the surface of SARS-CoV-2 that gives the virus its prickly shape and which it uses to attach to our cells. Amino acids are the basic building blocks that come together to make proteins and the spike protein is 1,273 amino acids long.
Numbers indicate the location of the mutation in the spike protein, while letters indicate the amino acid mutation. For example, F456L represents a change from F (an amino acid called phenylalanine) to L (the amino acid leucine at position 456).
What do we know about the characteristics of FLiRT? The regions of the spike protein where mutations have been found are important for two main reasons.The first is antibody binding, which affects the degree to which the immune system can recognize and neutralize the virus. The second is virus binding to host cells, which is necessary to cause infection.
These factors explain why some experts have suggested that the FLiRT subvariant may be more infectious than earlier COVID variants. There are also very early suggestions that the FLiRT subvariant may be more infectious than the original JN.1 variant from prior infections and vaccinations. Can survive with better immunity. However, this research has yet to be peer-reviewed (independently verified by other researchers).In more positive news, there is no evidence that the FLiRT variant causes more severe disease than earlier variants. Still, this doesn't mean that catching a COVI infection powered by FLiRT is risk-free.
However, overall, it is still very early days in terms of published research on these new FLiRT subvariants. We will need peer-reviewed data to understand more about the characteristics of FLiRT. The rise of FLiRT
In the US, FLiRT has overtaken the original JN.1 variant as the dominant strain.The latest data from the US shows that the original JN.1 is making up less than 16% of cases. While the FLiRT subvariant was recently detected in Australia, it appears to be gaining popularity. For example, NSW Health data from mid-May shows that the proportion of KP.2 and KP.3 samples was steadily increasing.
In other parts of the world, such as the United Kingdom, the FLiRT subvariant is similarly increasing.
In Australia, as temperatures continue to drop, and we enter the winter months, the spread of respiratory viruses generally increases and the number of cases reaches a peak.Therefore it is anticipated that the number of COVID cases will increase. And with FLiRT subvariants showing evidence of increased “fitness”, meaning they pose a stronger challenge against our body's immune defences, it's possible they may soon become the dominant subvariant circulating in Australia. Will take charge.
How can I stay safe? Since the FLiRT variants are descendants of Omicron, existing boosters, such as the Omicron XBB.1.5 in Australia, are likely to provide adequate protection. Although it is not guaranteed to prevent you from getting infected, COVI vaccines provide strong protection against severe disease. So, if you're eligible, consider getting a booster to protect yourself this winter.SARS-CoV-2 is now an endemic virus which means it will continue to spread around the world. To do this, the virus mutates to survive – usually only a little.
The new FLiRT subvariants are classic examples of this, where the virus has mutated enough to transmit and cause disease. So far there is no suggestion that these subvariants are causing more severe disease. They are more likely to expose people to Covid again.Although the data we have at this stage does not give us any significant cause for concern specifically about the FLiRT variant, we are still facing rising COVID infections again. And we know that people who are older or vulnerable, for example because of medical conditions that compromise their immune system, remain at greater risk.(talk) NSA
NSA
From the original Wuhan variant to Delta, Omicron and many other variants, the virus continues to evolve.
New variants have caused repeated waves of infection and challenged doctors and scientists trying to understand the behavior of this changing virus. Now, we are facing a new group of variants, the so-called "FLiRT" variants , which is contributing to the rising wave of COVID infections in Australia and elsewhere.So where do they come from, and are they a cause for concern?
The Omicron lineage FLiRT variants are a group of subvariants of JN.1 from the Omicron lineage.
JN.1 was detected in August 2023 and declared a variant of interest by the World Health Organization in December 2023. By early 2024, it had become the most dominant variant in Australia and the rest of the world, causing large waves of infection. As new variants emerge, scientists are hard at work trying to understand their potential impact. This involves sequencing their genes and assessing their ability to spread, infect and cause disease.In late 2023 scientists detected a range of subtypes of JN.1 in wastewater in the United States. Since then, these JN.1 subvariants, including KP.1.1, KP. and KP.3, have rapidly emerged and become common throughout the world.
But why the name FLiRT? Sequencing of these subvariants revealed several new mutations in the spike protein of the virus, including F456L, V1104L, and R346T. The name FLiRT was coined by combining the letters in these mutations.The spike protein is an important protein on the surface of SARS-CoV-2 that gives the virus its prickly shape and which it uses to attach to our cells. Amino acids are the basic building blocks that come together to make proteins and the spike protein is 1,273 amino acids long.
Numbers indicate the location of the mutation in the spike protein, while letters indicate the amino acid mutation. For example, F456L represents a change from F (an amino acid called phenylalanine) to L (the amino acid leucine at position 456).
What do we know about the characteristics of FLiRT? The regions of the spike protein where mutations have been found are important for two main reasons.The first is antibody binding, which affects the degree to which the immune system can recognize and neutralize the virus. The second is virus binding to host cells, which is necessary to cause infection.
These factors explain why some experts have suggested that the FLiRT subvariant may be more infectious than earlier COVID variants. There are also very early suggestions that the FLiRT subvariant may be more infectious than the original JN.1 variant from prior infections and vaccinations. Can survive with better immunity. However, this research has yet to be peer-reviewed (independently verified by other researchers).In more positive news, there is no evidence that the FLiRT variant causes more severe disease than earlier variants. Still, this doesn't mean that catching a COVI infection powered by FLiRT is risk-free.
However, overall, it is still very early days in terms of published research on these new FLiRT subvariants. We will need peer-reviewed data to understand more about the characteristics of FLiRT. The rise of FLiRT
In the US, FLiRT has overtaken the original JN.1 variant as the dominant strain.The latest data from the US shows that the original JN.1 is making up less than 16% of cases. While the FLiRT subvariant was recently detected in Australia, it appears to be gaining popularity. For example, NSW Health data from mid-May shows that the proportion of KP.2 and KP.3 samples was steadily increasing.
In other parts of the world, such as the United Kingdom, the FLiRT subvariant is similarly increasing.
In Australia, as temperatures continue to drop, and we enter the winter months, the spread of respiratory viruses generally increases and the number of cases reaches a peak.Therefore it is anticipated that the number of COVID cases will increase. And with FLiRT subvariants showing evidence of increased “fitness”, meaning they pose a stronger challenge against our body's immune defences, it's possible they may soon become the dominant subvariant circulating in Australia. Will take charge.
How can I stay safe? Since the FLiRT variants are descendants of Omicron, existing boosters, such as the Omicron XBB.1.5 in Australia, are likely to provide adequate protection. Although it is not guaranteed to prevent you from getting infected, COVI vaccines provide strong protection against severe disease. So, if you're eligible, consider getting a booster to protect yourself this winter.SARS-CoV-2 is now an endemic virus which means it will continue to spread around the world. To do this, the virus mutates to survive – usually only a little.
The new FLiRT subvariants are classic examples of this, where the virus has mutated enough to transmit and cause disease. So far there is no suggestion that these subvariants are causing more severe disease. They are more likely to expose people to Covid again.Although the data we have at this stage does not give us any significant cause for concern specifically about the FLiRT variant, we are still facing rising COVID infections again. And we know that people who are older or vulnerable, for example because of medical conditions that compromise their immune system, remain at greater risk.(talk) NSA
NSA
