A new variant of COVID-19 has been identified, dubbed “FLiRT,” and currently accounting for 25 percent of coronavirus cases in the US.
According to scientific reports cited by the British newspaper “The Mirror,” the new variant is believed to be “more difficult to stop” due to its increased resistance to current vaccines.
The Daily Star website reported on another variant known as KP.1.1, estimated to represent 7.5 percent of COVID-19 cases in the United States.
These figures raise concerns about its potential spread worldwide.
The risk of a global spread
A spokesperson for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) explained that viruses continuously evolve through mutations, and sometimes these changes lead to new variants.
They explained that some mutations may make the virus easier to spread or more resistant to treatments and vaccines.
The Vice President of the Scripps Research Center, Eric Topol, who closely monitors new COVID-19 variants warned that these new variants are expected to cause a “significant increase” in cases.
While the COVID-19 virus continues to evolve, the symptoms associated with it remain largely consistent.
Symptoms
Common symptoms of COVID-19 include: fever, chills, persistent cough, loss of taste or smell, shortness of breath, sore throat, nasal congestion or runny nose, loss of appetite and diarrhea.
These symptoms can vary in severity and may not always be present in all infected individuals.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
