It seems that everyone knows someone who has come down with Covid symptoms in the past few weeks – and you can blame ‘FLiRT’ for that.
Sore throats, headaches, persistent coughs and fatigue aren’t really how people want to spend their summer.
For weeks, the UK has been dealing with a wave of new Covid-19 cases fuelled by the FLiRT variants – drawn from the letters in the names of their mutations.
Cases steadily rose for weeks until late July, where, thankfully, the number of positive tests being recorded have plummeted.
Cases dropped by nearly 27% the week up to August 8, according to the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA). Deaths, however, swung upwards by nearly 11% that week to 193.
Hospital admissions have also dropped by 14%, with 2695 admitted in the week up to July 29, agency data shows.
Health experts have attributed the earlier summer surge to the variant KP.3 – part of the FLiRT family, along with KP.2 and KP.1.1.
The KP.3 variant is a subvariant of the highly contagious Omicron strain, and along with other variants makes up for over 69% of cases in the US.
And health experts are warning that these new variants are only getting better at spreading.
The FLiRT family of Covid bugs have spike proteins better at evading our immune defences and are slightly more infectious, NHS GP Dr Mariyam Malik told The Independent.
This includes the protection vaccines and having Covid before offer us, making reinfection possible.
‘Similarly, the LB.1 variant has mutations that help it spread and possibly weaken the protection we get from previous immunity, making these variants different from earlier versions of the virus.’ she added.
What are the symptoms of the new Covid FLiRT variants?
- Fever or chills
- Cough
- Sore throat
- Congestion or runny nose
- Headache
- Muscle aches
- Difficulty breathing
- Fatigue
- New loss of taste or smell
- ‘Brain fog’ (feeling less wakeful and aware)
- Gastrointestinal symptoms (upset stomach, mild diarrhoea, vomiting)
Dr Malik added that viruses are more likely to spread now that we no longer have legal restrictions such as social distancing and mandatory masks.
It’s a warning echoed by others in the medical field.
Virologist Professor Lawrence Young of Warwick University told the i: ‘This is a wakeup call. The virus hasn’t gone away and is certainly not a seasonal infection.
‘A combination of new, more infectious virus variants and waning immunity is very likely contributing to these increased levels of infection.
‘The hope is that this will not result in a big wave of infection but we need to keep a close watch.’
Still, jabs still offer us protection, especially against more severe symptoms. Those reinfected also tend to suffer milder symptoms.
Where can I get a Covid test?
According to Gov.UK, it is no longer possible to order free rapid lateral flow or polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests from the NHS online.
Both types of Covid tests can still be purchased in shops and pharmacies, including online.
People with underlying health conditions, or those who work in healthcare or hospices, may still be able to get free lateral flow tests from a pharmacy.
Vulnerable and older people will soon be offered the ‘Autumn booster’, the UKHSA says. The NHS will get in touch with eligible people to confirm details.
‘Having your COVID-19 vaccination this autumn will give you protection from serious COVID illness over winter,’ the agency says.
What are the latest Covid isolation rules?
No Covid restrictions are in force in the UK in 2024, but the Government still advises people to stay home after testing positive.
This article was first published on July 9, 2024.
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at [email protected].
For more stories like this, check our news page.