Covid-19 variant KP.3.1.1 predominant in US as infections continue ticking up

Los Angeles, Aug 21 – The KP.3.1.1 Covid-19 variant, now the predominant SARS-CoV-2 variant circulating in the US, has been causing increasing infections in the country, the latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) showed.

KP.3.1.1, of the Omicron family, is among many currently co-circulating JN.1-derived variants in the US, Xinhua news agency reported.

For the two-week period ending August 17, KP.3.1.1 is predicted to account for between 31 per cent and 43 per cent of Covid-19 clinical specimens, compared to between 20 per cent and 26 per cent for the two-week period ending August 3, according to the latest CDC data released.

The rise in prevalence of KP.3.1.1 comes as markers of Covid-19 activity, including test positivity, emergency department visits, and hospitalizations, remain elevated, particularly among adults ages 65 years and older and children younger than 2 years.

CDC recommends that the public get coronavirus vaccines to protect against serious illness from Covid-19 infection.

Updated Covid-19 vaccines that can provide protection during the 2024 to 2025 respiratory virus season will be available in the fall, according to the agency.