Is the corona virus coming back?  Two new strains of the virus have been found, one already in Israel
Another evidence that the corona is expected to remain on the earth for many years is two new strains that have started to spread in the USA and Europe and one of them has already arrived in Israel.The new strains are more contagious, but at this stage the symptoms are similar to previous strains. Both are called FLiRT, after their type of mutation, and are a new group of the omicron lineage. They arouse interest due to the fear of a new wave of infections in the summer. The two main strains that started to spread are called KP1 and KP2, and they are considered more contagious than previous versions of the Omicron strains.

However, according to experts, the symptoms remain more or less the same. In the USA, the KP1 strain began to spread, but the rate of hospitalizations due to infection with it is relatively low. The spread rate of the KP2 strain is relatively low. The common symptoms include, as in previous strains, cough, runny nose, sore throat, loss of taste and smell, fatigue, muscle and joint pain, Headaches and digestive disorders.

The updated vaccines against the Omicron variants are also believed to be effective against the new strains. In Israel, the KP2 variety, which is the least common in the US, has already been identified, while the KP1 variant has not been found. The most common variant in Israel today is KN2, which was found here even before the new varieties that were discovered.

The Ministry of Health stated that “The Ministry constantly monitors morbidity trends and the strains of the Corona virus in the world. According to the results of the genetic sequencing carried out by the Ministry of Health, the JN1 variant and its descendants are the most common in Israel with approximately 97% of the sequences. Of this percentage, the KP2 variant, which is also a sub-variant of JN1, makes up about 4.7% of the KP1 sub-variant in Israel. As of this time, there is no change in the ministry’s policy regarding Corona.

By Editor

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