The new KP.3 COVID-19 variant has caused a significant rise in UK hospitalizations, highlighting ongoing challenges and the need for vigilance.

Scientists and public health officials are concerned that a new COVID-19 variant, KP.3, is behind disproportionate new hospital admissions across the UK. It belongs to a new group of viruses collectively known as FLiRT, with enhanced transmission capabilities that drive infection rates and elevate hospitalization in older people and other vulnerable groups.

The Rise of FLiRT Variants

The FLiRT group contains several subvariants, some of which include KP.1.1, KP.2, and KP.3, characterized by distinct genetic mutations. KP.3 has emerged as the predominant variant behind the surge in COVID-19 cases, responsible for almost 44 per cent of infections in the UK as of April 2024. This has been an ultra-fast spread compared to KP.2, previously highly dominant, which drove a wave of infections in May and now represents just 22 percent of cases.

UKHSA recorded a steep rise in admissions, equivalent to an increase of 24 percent in just one week. The icing on the cake has been noted in those 85 years and older, where admission cases reached 34.70 per 100,000. There have, however, been large increases seen within other age groups as well, including those between 65 to 74 and those between 75 to 84, among others.

Diminishing Immunity and Vaccine Uptake

According to most experts, the resurgence can be attributed to waning immunity in the population. Vaccination rates, especially booster vaccinations among susceptible populations, have reportedly not kept pace with the constantly mutating virus. According to Prof Lawrence Young, a virologist at Warwick University, COVID-19 is not a seasonal infection. He said, “There no room for complacency,” and asserted that the mantra needs to be vigil and preparedness as the variants go on emerging.

Leeds University’s Professor Steve Griffin comments that the rise is worrying. He writes about how far, from having desired efficacy against characteristics of the circulating virus strains, vaccines currently in use are, requiring updated vaccines and improved public health strategies to help cushion their impact.

Symptoms and Recommendations

The NHS states that anyone feeling unwell or having signs of COVID-19 should self-isolate, thereby halting the spread within communities. Commonest symptoms reported by patients include fever, changed sense of smell, cough, feeling extremely tired, feeling sick or being sick, and shortness of breath. The timely identification and subsequent isolation of symptomatic individuals are among the critical measures for containing viral transmission.

Global Implications

Nevertheless, the effect of the KP.3 variant does not stop at the UK’s borders. A skip across the water into the United States reveals KP.3 to be a fast-rising dominant strain, accounting for 25 percent of COVID-19 cases as of early June, rising well above predecessor KP.2 at 22.5 percent. This is trend evidence if anything that states the global challenge one faces fighting COVID-19 today—the need for international cooperation and coordination in combating an ever-evolving threat.

Preparing for Further Waves

With the possibility of a summer wave looming over the UK, there can be no emphatic call to action now but for proactive measures. Surveillance, booster vaccinations, and information campaigns to the public—these are what public health officials are rooting for in an attempt to drive the message home. High vaccination coverage, particularly in high-risk populations, is important in reducing the burden on health systems and averting bad outcomes.

Or, put differently, if this rise in the KP.3 variant, and more broadly the FLiRT group, says anything, it is of the dynamism of the COVID-19 pandemic. Indeed, with the rising rates in new hospital admissions nowadays, surely this is still vastly one of the most important public health threats. Vigilance, adaptability, and further vaccination and public health efforts are essential to navigate this challenge. This calls for collective actions towards full compliance with the recommended guidelines for mitigating the impact of COVID-19 or any other emerging new variant that shall be monitored and responded to by the scientific community for the safeguarding of public health.