Hey there,
So, there’s this new bunch of COVID-19 variants making the rounds in the U.S. They’ve been dubbed “FLiRT” because of their mutations, and they’re kind of taking over. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), one of these variants, KP.2, is now responsible for around 25% of all COVID-19 cases in the country. And yeah, it’s the big boss right now.
Now, why are people worried? Well, Megan L. Ranney, the head honcho over at the Yale School of Public Health, told WebMD that these FLiRT variants have some changes in their spike protein, which is basically how the virus gets its grip on us and makes us sick. Not cool.
But hold up, the CDC hasn’t spilled all the beans just yet. They didn’t give FOX Television Stations all the juicy details when they asked for more info.
And hey, even though we’ve seen a drop in severe COVID-19 cases overall, the CDC is still waving the caution flag. Especially for folks over 65, who are still ending up in the hospital more often because of the virus.
To tackle this, the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization is saying everyone 65 and up should get another shot of the updated COVID-19 vaccine. They reckon this extra dose will beef up our immunity, which might have taken a hit, and hopefully lower the chances of serious COVID-19 problems, even death.
So yeah, COVID-19 might be easing up in some ways, but it’s definitely not time to drop our guard.
