More contagious than predecessors: What is known about new Covid variant FLiRT
Photo: Ihor Kuzin, Chief State Sanitary Doctor of Ukraine (Vitalii Nosach/RBC-Ukraine)
The new FLiRT variant of coronavirus infection is more contagious than its predecessors. However, vaccination remains an effective preventive measure, says Ihor Kuzin, Deputy Minister of Health - Chief State Sanitary doctor of Ukraine.
According to Kuzin, the first reports about the new subvariant began appearing in March. Over the following months, many countries reported an increase in Covid-19 cases. For instance, in the United States, the rates rose by 25%.
"This is one of the subvariants that is characterized by even faster transmission from person to person and a greater ability to evade the immune response, but the general symptoms remain the same: elevated body temperature, primarily in the first days of illness, cough, and possible headaches and muscle pain," he explained. He also mentioned that people who have not received a booster dose of the vaccine are at higher risk of infection.
Despite the World Health Organization (WHO) not yet assessing FLiRT, there are reports that the current vaccine used for preventive immunizations remains effective.
The Chief State Sanitary Doctor reported that the WHO, and Ukraine consequently, updated their recommendations for treatment and prevention.
If a person has underlying non-infectious diseases, such as diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular diseases, or cancer, they should receive a single vaccination.
"This is the basic vaccination course, and then such a person is recommended to get one booster dose annually. The same recommendation applies to healthcare workers and service sector employees, considering their professional risk and a sufficient number of contacts," Kuzin explained.
For people without underlying non-infectious diseases, a single vaccination as the basic course is sufficient.
"In essence, we have moved away from the two-dose vaccination and a certain number of boosters every six months for some groups, so now these recommendations are simplified. Therefore, if a person does not have underlying non-infectious diseases, a single vaccination will be enough. If they do have underlying conditions, we recommend annual vaccinations," he noted.
Covid-19
The Covid-19 pandemic began at the end of 2019 and has been a challenge for health systems worldwide. The disease spread rapidly and caused a significant number of deaths. Vaccine development became key in fighting the disease, despite repeated mutations of Covid-19.
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