Covid new variant FLiRT in USA: Is there any uptick in hospitalizations?

economictimes.indiatimes.com:

SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus has been one of the leading causes of an uptick in coronavirus across this year. The name FLiRT for this Covid variant has been given on the basis of the locations of mutation of the virus and it's spike protein. Among these, is the KP.2 variant which is the most commonly circulating variant in the United States, across all regions, across April and May, according to a Reuters report.

New COVID mutation much like the previous JN.1 variant

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in its report has stated that the new variant has become very common in the US, much like the JN.1 variant, which was previously rampant in the nation. According to Johns Hopkins University, FLiRT variants, which also include JN.1's characteristics, have a set of three mutations on their spike protein variations that could help them evade antibodies and affect any person.

No major uptick in Covid cases due to new variant

Although there has been issued caution around these FLiRT variants, there has been no reported significant uptick in Covid cases in the US due to the new variant prevailing in the country. A Mount Sinai South Nassau Hospital official has revealed that he has not seen any evidence of uptick in cases on the basis of data he is currently observing or the patients he is currently supervising.

Recent CDC data has stated that Coronavirus-based hospitalizations have decreased significantly in the past weeks and the number of