Here We Go: Two New COVID Variants Named ‘FLiRT’ Reportedly Spreading Across the U.S.
Just in time for the election…
Two new COVID-19 variants, collectively known as “FLiRT,” have been detected and are reportedly spreading across the United States.
The FLiRT variants are sub-lineages of the Omicron variant, named for the mutations they bear.
The Infectious Disease Society of America states that the nickname ‘FLiRT’ is derived from the technical names of the variants’ mutations. The World Health Organization (WHO) has reclassified it as a variant of interest and recommended close monitoring.
According to Mass Live, citing the latest data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the KP.2 variant is currently the dominant strain, accounting for about 25% of all infections nationwide.
