Western Australia Health Officials Say That COVID-19 Hospitalizations Are Rising Due KP.X Strain! WTF Is KP.X Strain?
Nikhil Prasad Fact checked by:Thailand Medical News Team Jun 15, 2024 4 months, 1 week, 3 days, 7 hours, 39 minutes ago
COVID-19 News: Western Australia (WA) health officials have reported a significant increase in COVID-19 hospitalizations, attributing this surge to a new sub-strain known as KP.X. This new variant has swiftly become the dominant strain in the region, replacing the previously prevalent JN.1 sub-strain.
Western Australia Health Officials Say That COVID-19
Hospitalizations Are Rising Due KP.X Strain
Emergence of KP.X Strain?
According to the latest fornightly update from the health officials from Western Australia, over the past fortnight, KP.X has emerged as the leading sub-strain detected in wastewater sampling across WA. This sub-strain is part of the FLiRT variants family, which are descendants of the JN.1 strain that had been dominant in recent months. The rise of KP.X has coincided with a 15% increase in hospitalizations, averaging 212 per day compared to 184 per day in the previous fortnight. Intensive care unit (ICU) cases have also seen a slight rise, averaging six per day, up from five per day.
Details of Fortnightly Surveillance Report Summary
The latest COVID-19 Fortnightly Surveillance Report for the period from May 27 to June 9, 2024, provides a comprehensive overview of the current situation:
-COVID-19 notifications remained stable, with 1,185 notifications this fortnight compared to 1,191 in the previous fortnight.
-Hospitalized cases increased by 15%, averaging 212 per day.
ICU cases increased slightly to an average of six per day.
-Reported COVID-19-related deaths decreased to nine, down from 13 in the previous fortnight.
-The SARS-CoV-2 concentration in wastewater from the Perth metropolitan area remained elevated.
-Genomic sequencing indicated that while the Omicron sub-variant JN.1.X remains dominant in clinical samples, the KP.X sub-variant is rising.
https://www.health.wa.gov.au/~/media/Corp/Documents/Health-for/Infectious-disease/COVID19/Surveillance-report/2024/COVID-19-Fortnightly-Surveillance-report-27-May---09-June-2024.pdf
https://www.health.wa.gov.au/Articles/F_I/Infectious-disease-data/COVID19-Surveillance-Report
Impact on Vulnerable Populations
Dr Andy Pecosz, a professor of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology at Johns Hopkins University, emphasized the significance of these new variants. "FLiRT variants, including KP.X, are high on the list of viruses that could cause another wave of infections in the United States," he stated. Despite smaller waves compared to the pandemic's early years, these variants continue to impact the most vulnerable populations, including the elderly, immunocompromised individuals, and those with secondary medical conditio
ns.
Even local
COVID-19 News coverages are talking about the emergence of a KP.X variant.
https://thewest.com.au/news/wa/new-covid-strain-kpx-dominates-as-hospitalisations-increase-in-wa-c-15030793
The problem is that there is no such thing as the KP.X variant. We have the KP.1, KP.2 and KP.2 variants and their many spawns and it is misleading not to identify the correct SARS-CoV-1 variants or sub-lineages correctly. Each of the main three KP variants and even among their own spawns or emerging sub-lineages are unique and distinct to a certain degree. The KP.1 and KP.2 variants and their sub-lineages are identified as FLiRT variants due to the unique mutation pair found on them but the KP.3 variant is actually a FluQE variant.
https://www.thailandmedical.news/news/forget-about-sars-cov-2-flirt-variants-kp-1-1-and-kp-2-new-fluqe-variant-kp-3-expected-to-rapidly-become-globally-predominant-wreaking-havoc
Furthermore, the KP.3 variant has spawned a number of worrisome sub-lineages including KP.3.1, KP.3.1.1, KP.3.1.2, KP.3.1.3, KP.3.1.4, KP.3.2, KP.3.2.1, KP.3.2.2, KP.3.2.3, KP.3.2.4 and KP.3.3.
The KP.2 variant has spawned more than 30 different sub-lineages but among the KP.2.3 is the most worrisome.
We at Thailand
Medical News assume that it is most like the KP.3 variant and its newer sub-lineages that is driving the rise in infections in Western Australia and the rest of Australia as well.
https://cov-spectrum.org/explore/Australia/AllSamples/Past6M/variants?nextcladePangoLineage=KP.3*&
Increased Outbreaks in Aged Care Homes
COVID-19 outbreaks in Australian aged care homes have surged, with 180 new cases reported and 48 resident deaths in the past week. WA’s largest outbreak occurred at Aegis Shoalwater, where 55 residents and 38 staff members were infected. These outbreaks highlight the ongoing threat posed by new variants like KP.3 to high-risk populations.
Conclusion
As WA grapples with the emergence of the KP.X sub-strain, health officials urge the public to remain vigilant. The impact of new variants underscores the importance of protecting vulnerable populations through continued public health measures and vaccination efforts. The situation in WA serves as a reminder that while the waves of COVID-19 may be smaller now, the virus continues to evolve and pose a threat, particularly to those at higher risk.
For the latest
COVID-19 News, keep on logging to Thailand Medical News.
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