LOS ANGELES – The KP. 3. 1. 1 variant of COVID-19, now the main variant of SARS-CoV-2 circulating in the United States, is seeing a rise in infections in the country, according to the latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Disease Control. and Prevention of the United States. (CDC) showed.
KP. 3. 1. 1, from the Omicron family, is one of the JN. 1-derived variants recently cocirculating in the United States.
For the two-week period ending August 17, KP. 3. 1. 1 is expected to account for 31% to 43% of clinical COVID-19 specimens, and between 20% and 26% for the two-week period ending August 3. , according to CDC data released Monday.
The increased prevalence of KP. 3. 1. 1 occurs when markers of COVID-19 activity, in addition to positivity from controls, emergency branch visits, and hospitalizations, remain elevated, among adults 65 years of age and older and youth younger than 2 years.
The CDC recommends that the public get vaccinated against COVID-19 to protect against severe illness caused by COVID-19. According to the agency, updated COVID-19 vaccines capable of offering protection during the 2024 to 2025 respiratory virus season will be available in the fall.