Positive cases for the COVID-19 KP.3 variant are rising, according to newly released data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The KP.3 variant has surged from accounting for 25% of positive cases to 33.1%, becoming the new frontrunner after the JN.1 variant held dominance for several months following its first appearance in 2023.
Using the CDC’s Nowcast data tracker, the projections of COVID variants over a two-week period are estimated. This tool helps estimate the current prevalence of variants but does not predict the future spread of the virus, the CDC stated.
For the two-week period between June 9 and June 22, the CDC’s data tracker shows the KP.3 variant at 33.1%. Closely following behind is the KP.2 variant at 20.8%, while JN.1 only accounts for 1.6% of positive cases.
What is the KP.3 variant?
KP.3, like JN.1 and “FLiRT” variants KP.1.1 and KP.2, is a sublineage of the JN.1 lineage, originating from the Omicron variant. According to CDC spokesperson Rosa Norman, the KP.3 variant shares many characteristics with its predecessors.
Symptoms of KP.3
Norman reports that symptoms associated with KP.3 are identical to those from JN.1, which include:
- 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 diarrhea, vomiting)
The CDC notes that this list does not encompass all possible symptoms, which may change with new variants and vary by individual. Generally, symptoms of COVID-19 range from mild to severe illness and can appear two to 14 days after exposure.
How can we protect ourselves against the KP.3 variant?
Norman recommends that everyone aged six months and older receive the 2023–2024 COVID-19 vaccine, which is expected to provide protection against serious illnesses from COVID.
COVID-19 positivity rates, deaths, and hospitalizations
CDC data indicates that COVID test positivity has risen to 5.4% within the past week. Despite this, COVID-19 related deaths and hospitalizations have remained low compared to the early stages of the pandemic. As of June 8, 2024, there have been 132 reported COVID-19 related deaths, a significant decrease from the peak in April 2020, when weekly deaths surpassed 10,000.
Additional Health Concerns
In other health news, the article briefly touches on a tuberculosis outbreak in Long Beach, California, the launch of a long-term study by the Cancer Society to understand why Black women are more likely to die of cancer, and a CDC report on HIV infections linked to “vampire facials” at a closed New Mexico spa.
