People are being urged to stay wary of potential Covid symptoms to spot as a variant that became the most dominant in the US has been found in the UK. The arrival of the KP.3 variant in the UK has coincided with a 20 percent rise in deaths according to the latest data.
KP.3 is one of three variants known as the FLiRT variants.
Data from the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) showed it surpassed its sister, KP.2 as the most common variant in the US where it is thought to be linked to a quarter of all cases.
The latest figures from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) showed there were 3,557 reported cases of Covid in England in the week up to July 17. This was a rise of 152 compared to the previous week.
Hospital admissions and deaths due to Covid also increased in England in the most recent week available.
There were 2,797 patients admitted in the week up to June 28, up by 61 people, and 197 Covid deaths in the week up to July 12, an increase of 34.
Other countries in Europe, such as Greece, have reported a surge in Covid cases.
As a result some have brought back mask mandates in healthcare facilities. Hospitals in parts of the UK have also followed suit, including the Royal Stoke University Hospital and County Hospital in Stafford.
But what are the symptoms of KP.3 to look for?
The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) listed potential symptoms of KP.3 as similar to the JN.1 variant, which are:
- Fever/chills
- Cough
- Shortness of breath
- Fatigue
- Muscle aches
- Headache
- Loss of taste or smell
- Sore throat
- Runny nose
- Nausea/vomiting
- Diarrhoea
Speaking to Prevention, Doctor Roy Giulick, chief of infectious diseases at Weill-Cornell Medicine, noted that KP.3 symptoms are similar to the classic Covid signs we’ve seen before.
“The symptoms remain those of an upper respiratory infection,” he said.
Another expert warned that the variant could cause a summer surge of Covid.
Professor Steve Griffin, from Leeds University, said: “This is clearly early days, but it certainly looks as though yet another Covid wave is building.
“If the rise in hospitalisations continues, this is obviously worrying.
“Although we’ve just had a spring booster campaign for vulnerable populations, the uptake was lower than in 2023, and there is a considerable difference between the current vaccines and circulating viruses.”
While there are no longer isolation rules in place, the NHS recommends staying home and avoiding contact with others for five days if you test positive for Covid.
