Health
What to know about the new 'FLiRT' COVID variants
![What to know about the new 'FLiRT' COVID variants](https://static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2024/05/Covid-vaccine-vials.jpg)
- According to the World Health Organization, the “FLiRT” variants of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus have been the dominant forms of the virus circulating globally this year.
- “FLiRT” is an acronym for the locations of the mutations the variants share on the virus’ spike protein.
- CDC data suggests COVID-related hospitalizations have trended downwards in recent weeks and the number of patients in emergency departments who have tested positive for COVID has been about flat for the past month.
The so-called FLiRT variants of SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus that cause COVID-19 have been the dominant forms of the virus circulating this year globally, according to the World Health Organization.
The moniker FLiRT is an acronym for the locations of the mutations the variants share on the virus’ spike protein. One of them, called KP.2, has become the most commonly circulating variant in the United States over the past month, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Here is what you need to know about FLiRT.
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HOW ARE THE FLIRT VARIANTS DIFFERENT FROM PREVIOUS VARIANTS?
The FLiRT variants, which also include KP.2’s “parental” lineage JN.1, have three key mutations on their spike protein that could help them evade antibodies, according to Johns Hopkins University.
ARE THE FLIRT VARIANTS MORE CONTAGIOUS OR LIKELY TO CAUSE MORE SEVERE ILLNESS?
Dr. Aaron Glatt, chief of infectious diseases at Mount Sinai South Nassau Hospital in Oceanside, New York, and a spokesperson for the Infectious Diseases Society of America said he has not seen evidence of an uptick in disease or hospitalizations, based on the data he tracks and experience with his own patients.
U.S. experts and regulators will meet to discuss vaccine design on June 5, 2024, to address new COVID variants. (Reuters/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo)
“There have been some significant changes in the variants, but I think in recent times it’s not been as important, probably because of the immunity many, many people already have” from prior illness and vaccination.
CDC data suggests that COVID-related hospitalizations have trended downwards in recent weeks and the number of patients in emergency departments who have tested positive for COVID has been about flat for the past month.
Data suggests that COVID rates are also down year-over-year. The rate of COVID hospitalizations is less than half than a year earlier, and the amount of the antiviral Paxlovid currently being prescribed for COVID-19 is down around 60% from last year, according to analyst notes.
DO CURRENT VACCINES WORK AGAINST THE FLIRT VARIANTS?
The current vaccines should still have some benefit against the new variants, Glatt said.
Since 2022, health regulators have asked vaccine makers to design new versions of the COVID-19 vaccines to better target circulating variants. Last month, Europe’s regulator said vaccine makers should target the JN.1 variant. U.S. experts and regulators will meet to discuss vaccine design on June 5 after having postponed the meeting from May 16 in order to have more time to “obtain surveillance data and other information.”
Makers of vaccines based on messenger RNA (mRNA) technology – Pfizer with partner BioNTech, and Moderna – say they are waiting for the June 5 meeting before settling on the design of their next vaccines.
Novavax, which makes a more traditional protein-based vaccine that takes longer to manufacture, has begun producing a shot targeting JN.1 consistent with recommendations from European regulators.
![](https://newspub.live/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/np-logo.png)
Health
Paleo and Atkins Diets: Low-Carb for Different Reasons | Woman's World
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Health
7 important health stories this week you simply can't miss
![7 important health stories this week you simply can't miss](https://static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2024/06/weekend-recap-split.jpg)
Every day of the week, Fox News Digital publishes a range of health and wellness pieces to keep you up-to-date on medical research, new medications, mental health trends, success stories and more.
In case you missed them, here are a few of the biggest health stories from the past week.
As always, you can see a full list of recent health pieces at http://www.foxnews/health.
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1. FDA tells COVID vaccine makers to update their fall shots
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recommended that COVID vaccine manufacturers update their formulas for fall doses, in an attempt to target the KP.2 strain of the JN.1 variant.
Dr. Marc Siegel shared insights on the risks as this variant grows more prominent. Click here to get the story.
“It makes sense to target the KP.2 strain because it is becoming the predominant strain — it is surging in California and will spread across the country,” Siegel told Fox News Digital. (iStock)
2. Expert offers 7 tips to soothe sunburned skin
If not treated properly, sunburn can lead to severe skin damage and increase the risk of skin cancer, experts warn.
Angela Rosoff, a San Francisco-based wellness and beauty expert, shared some proven remedies to treat sun-damaged skin. Click here to get the story.
![Woman with sunburn](https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2024/06/1200/675/sunburned-woman.jpg?ve=1&tl=1)
More than one out of every three adults experienced a sunburn last year, according to a survey by the American Academy of Dermatology. (iStock)
3. Tiger mosquitoes blamed for spread of dengue fever
As dengue fever continues to spread throughout Europe, experts are naming an invasive mosquito species as the culprit.
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Infectious diseases experts weighed in on the level of risk and share prevention tips. Click here to get the story.
![Tiger mosquito](https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2024/06/1200/675/tiger-mosquito.jpg?ve=1&tl=1)
Tiger mosquitoes — the species Aedes albopictus — have spread into 13 EU countries, according to an alert from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. (iStock)
4. Certain exercises could reverse Alzheimer’s, expert says
In her new book, “Reversing Alzheimer’s,” Dr. Heather Sandison, a renowned expert in dementia care, offered specific recommendations for the types of exercise that can benefit patients living with the disease.
“Exercise benefits several of the root causes of neurological disease,” she wrote. Click here to get the story.
![Weekend recap](https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2024/06/1200/675/weekend-recap-split.jpg?ve=1&tl=1)
Sunburn remedies, new COVID vaccines, anti-Alzheimer’s exercises and more important stories are covered here. (iStock)
5. Experts bust sunscreen myths
Some claims on social media about sun safety have led to a major misconception that sunscreen could cause skin cancer.
Dermatologists debunk these potentially dangerous myths. Click here to get the story.
![woman using sunscreen on a beach](https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2024/06/1200/675/iStock-1311504201.jpg?ve=1&tl=1)
Thirty-two percent of Americans believe that a tan makes people look better and healthier, according to the Orlando Health Cancer Institute study. (iStock)
6. New Alzheimer’s drug gets thumbs-up from FDA advisory committee
Donanemab, designed to treat mild cognitive impairment and other symptoms of early Alzheimer’s disease, was endorsed by a U.S. Food and Drug Administration advisory panel.
Here’s what that could mean for patients. Click here to get the story.
![Older woman taking pills](https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2024/06/1200/675/older-woman-pills.jpg?ve=1&tl=1)
Eli Lilly officials presented clinical trial results showing that the drug, donanemab, slowed cognitive and functional decline for people with mild cognitive impairment due to early stages of Alzheimer’s. (iStock)
7. FDA panel rejects MDMA-assisted therapies for PTSD
Many veterans’ hopes were dashed when an FDA advisory committee voted against the overall benefits of MDMA when used to treat PTSD.
Advocates and doctors discussed what this means for the future of psychedelic treatments. Click here to get the story.
![FDA sign next to a sad veteran](https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2024/06/1200/675/fda-vet-split.png?ve=1&tl=1)
“When I heard the verdict, all I could think about was the hopes of those veterans being dashed … and not having a solution for them,” one advocate said. (iStock)
Health
Better Than Ozempic? Doctors Say These Medications Are Better for Weight Loss Than the Popular Semaglutide
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