An alert has been issued about a new strain of Covid which is becoming the most dominant strain this summer amid a 20 per cent rise in deaths in the latest data. There has been a big rise in cases in the UK, with high street store Superdrug reporting a massive increase in numbers of testing kids sold.
The UK has been hit by the FLiRT variant - but now the newer KP.3 strain is hitting our shores after becoming the most prevalent type in the USA, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
As of now, KP.3 is responsible for 25% of COVID-19 cases in the US, and it’s rising in the UK. In the UK, the KP3 variant has been detected, albeit in smaller numbers. Hospital admissions have climbed to 3.31 per 100,000 people as of the week ending 29 June, up from 2.67 per 100,000 the week before.
Total number of cases detected (widespread testing not being done) were 3,557 in the week ending June 29. In the seven days to July 12 there were 197 deaths where the person had tested positive for Covid which is up 20 per cent. There were 2,797
patients admitted to hospital in the 7 days up to Jun 28. Foreign countries in Europe have also reported a rise in cases including Greece, which has had to impose some mask-wearing rules after more hospitalisations. KP.3 is a member of a group of COVID-19 variants known as the FLiRT variants.
FLiRT stands for F lineage recombinant type and those coming down with it are said to exhibit these symptoms:
- Fever or chills
- Cough
- Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
- Fatigue
- Muscle or body aches
- Headache
- New loss of taste or smell
- Sore throat
- Congestion or runny nose
- Nausea or vomiting
- Diarrhoea
High street healthcare retailer Superdrug reported a 319% spike in sales of its Covid lateral flow tests, alongside a 297% increase in cold and flu relief sachets, suggesting a surge of illness across the UK this Summer. The high street retailer also reported a surge in sales of vitamins that can help support immunity and help combat such illnesses, specifically Vitamin D increasing by 116% and Zinc increasing by 58%.
Medical experts say that being vaccinated is the best way of protecting yourself from getting a severe bout. The NHS has issued advice for individuals to stay at home and avoid contact with others if they or their children are experiencing symptoms, such as a high temperature, or if they’re feeling too unwell to go to work, school, or carry out normal activities.
Vaccinations have been highlighted as crucial in preventing severe illness and hospitalisation from both flu and COVID-19. This is particularly important for over-75s, those with weakened immune systems, and residents in care homes for older adults, who are being urged to get their spring booster shots.
Leeds University’s Professor Steve Griffin has previously said on the new variant: “This is clearly early days, but it certainly looks as though yet another Covid wave is building.”
He added: “If the rise in hospitalisations continues, this is obviously worrying. Although we’ve just had a spring booster campaign for vulnerable populations, the uptake was lower than in 2023, and there is a considerable difference between the current vaccines and circulating viruses.”