A new COVID-19 variant now makes up 25% of cases in the nation, the CDC said.
Variant KP.2, nicknamed FLiRT, is the new dominant variant in the country, according to wastewater surveillance.
From April 14 through April 27, two FLiRT variants accounted for roughly 30% of cases: KP.1.1 made up 7.5% of cases and KP.2 made up 25% of cases. Megan Ranney, MD, dean of the Yale School of Public Health, told WebMD that FLiRT has concerning features, such as changes in the spike protein, which play a role in colonizing the body.
FLiRT has overtaken JN.1 variants, which accounted for 22% of COVID-19 cases in the same time period.
The CDC provides estimates for variant proportions for two-week periods, the latest data reaching to April 27. Find the full CDC report here.