United States: According to the latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the KP.3.1.1 COVID-19 variant is currently the dominant strain of the virus.
More about the news
The agency put forward the Nowcast data tracker, displaying COVID-19 estimates and projects the trend for two-week periods.
It is projected that the KP.3.1.1 variant is widely prevalent and makes up 27.8 percent of the positive infections, followed by 20.1 percent of KP.3, with the two weeks starting from July 21 and ending on August 3.
According to Rosa Norman, a spokesperson from the CDC, “The KP.3.1.1 variant is very similar to other circulating variants in the United States. All current lineages are descendants of JN.1, which emerged in late 2023,” USA Today reported.
“At this time, we anticipate that COVID-19 treatments and vaccines will continue to work against all circulating variants. CDC will continue to monitor the severity of variants and will monitor vaccine effectiveness,” Norman added.
Similarities between KP.3 and KP.3.1.1 variants
According to the CDC’s Nowcast data tracker, the KP.3.1.1 COVID variant was the most commonly present variant at the national, regional, and state levels for the week ending July 27.
Norman added, “KP.3.1.1 is a sub-lineage of KP.3,” as the USA Today reported.
“KP.3.1.1 is a sub-lineage of KP.3,” Norman said.
How are KP.3 and KP.3.1.1 different?
Norman previously explained that KP.3.1.1 has one change in spike protein.
JN.1, a variant that has been circulating since December 2023, only saw a single change in spike, unlike the KP.3 variant, which is a sub-lineage of the JN.1, Dave Daigle, a spokesperson at the CDC, previously told USA TODAY.
“KP.3.1.1 has one change in the spike protein in comparison to KP.3,” Norman said.
Symptoms of Covid
According to the known professionals featured, the CDC has yet to point out the symptoms present in KP.3 or KP.3.1.1.
The agency describes the signs exhibited by Covid, which can be seen at two to fourteen days after contact with the virus, while how severe depends on the kind of coronavirus.
These symptoms include:
- Fever or chills
- Cough
- Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
- Fatigue
- Muscle or body aches
- Headache
- Loss of taste or smell
- Sore throat
- Congestion or runny nose
- Nausea or vomiting
- Diarrhea
Additionally, the CDC urges to seek medical attention if you have the following symptoms:
- Trouble breathing
- Persistent pain or pressure in the chest
- New confusion
- Pale colored skin, lips, or nail beds