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4 things to know about the new COVID variants in Massachusetts including symptoms

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4 things to know about the new COVID variants in Massachusetts including symptoms


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The world has been dealing with COVID since the pandemic set in back in 2020, and while we know more about the disease, it still hasn’t gone away.

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This year is no different, with new COVID variants arriving on the scene, and those variants have been taking their toll on Massachusetts residents.

Meanwhile, health officials are still advocating for staying up on vaccinations, as they say that is one of the best ways to fight the virus.

Here’s what to know about the new COVID variants.

What are the new COVID variants?

The new variants are called the FLiRT strains of the virus. There are three variants of FLiRT.

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They “accounted for the majority of COVID cases in the U.S. at the beginning of July. One of them, KP.3, was responsible for 36.9% of COVID infections in the United States, KP.2 made up 24.4%, and KP.1.1 accounted for 9.2% of cases,” according to a Yale Medicine study.

There is also another new strain – not FLiRT – called “LB.1,” strain, which is similar to the FLiRT variants.

“But with an additional mutation, (LB.1) has attracted attention as well,” Yale Medicine stated. “As summer began, it was responsible for 14.9% of COVID cases.”

More: COVID-19 emergency room visits, deaths are up. Should you be worried?

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Are the new FLiRT variants worse than other strains?

According to Yale Medicine, “There is no conclusive information yet about whether a COVID illness will be more severe with the new variants or how symptoms might change.”

More: COVID-19 variant KP.3 remains dominant in US, rises to 36.9% of cases: See latest CDC data

What’s the COVID situation in Massachusetts now?

The latest data from the Massachusetts Department of Health covers from June 23 to June 29. During that time, there were 1,151 confirmed cases of COVID in the state, with 99,565 for the entire spring and summer.

In that same time period, the state reported six confirmed deaths, with 985 confirmed COVID deaths for the season.

What are the best remedies for COVID?

Doctors say vaccination is still a key for defense against COVID. Other ways to defend against the disease include:

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What are symptoms of the new variant?

According to Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, symptoms of the new variants include:

  • Fever or chills
  • Cough
  • Sore throat
  • Congestion or runny nose
  • Headache
  • Muscle aches
  • Difficulty breathing
  • Fatigue



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Dangerousness hearing held for Taunton man in Fall River after Massachusetts, Rhode Island State Police make trafficking arrest involving Bristol, Plymouth, RI counties

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Dangerousness hearing held for Taunton man in Fall River after Massachusetts, Rhode Island State Police make trafficking arrest involving Bristol, Plymouth, RI counties


A dangerousness hearing was held Friday for a Bristol County man after a drug trafficking investigation led to his arrest.

According to Massachusetts State Police, during May and June of this year, members of the Commonwealth Interstate Narcotics Reduction Enforcement Team – South initiated an investigation into narcotics trafficking. Intelligence revealed that 33-year-old Jason Hodo of Taunton was distributing trafficking quantities of fentanyl and cocaine in Rhode Island and throughout Plymouth and Bristol Counties in Massachusetts. Investigators completed extensive traditional and covert surveillance, record checks, and intelligence analysis. The investigation led to warrants being sought and granted to search for all controlled substances at all locations related to Hodo.

In June, executing officers followed Hodo in his vehicle after he departed the Rhode Island location and drove to a Taunton gas station. Hodo was detained, searched, and arrested after amounts of fentanyl and cocaine were located. Members then executed the “knock and announce” search warrants without incident at locations in both states.

The searches in Massachusetts led to the seizure of approximately 528 grams of fentanyl, 206 grams of cocaine, and nearly $22,000 from Hodo’s person and vehicle. Hodo was eventually transported to State Police-Middleboro for booking on charges related to Trafficking Class A and Class B Substances.

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A simultaneous search of the Rhode Island location by Rhode Island State Police revealed the following: two firearms loaded with high-capacity magazines, approximately 12 grams of fentanyl, nearly $19,000, several high value bars of gold, jewelry, and a diamond/gold chain with receipt for $103,000.

Previously in Fall River Superior Court, Hodo pled not guilty at his arraignment and was held without bail pending a dangerousness hearing scheduled for Friday.

On Friday, also in Fall River Superior Court, dangerousness was taken under advisement with Hodo still held without bail.

His next scheduled court appearance is a pre-trial conference in February.

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Mass. State Lottery winner: Lucky store sold 6 winning tickets Friday

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Mass. State Lottery winner: Lucky store sold 6 winning tickets Friday


It was the final day of the fall, but for one store in Arlington, it was their luckiest day of the year.

On Friday, Dec. 20, Peter Pan Superette in Arlington sold six winning Keno tickets, each worth $9,600.

While over the course of the year the store has at times sold two winners in one day, Friday was the only time in 2024 the total grew to six.

Overall, at least 565 worth $600 or more were won or claimed in Massachusetts on Friday, including six in Springfield, 29 in Worcester and 42 in Boston.

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The Massachusetts State Lottery releases a full list of winning tickets every day. The list only includes winning tickets worth more than $600.

So far, the largest lottery prize won in Massachusetts this year was worth $1 million a year for life.

The prize was from the lottery’s “Lifetime Millions” scratch ticket game. The winner claimed their prize through a trust on July 10, and opted to receive a one-time payment of $15.4 million.



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How much snow in Massachusetts? Here are the storm totals for December 20

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How much snow in Massachusetts? Here are the storm totals for December 20



Next Weather: WBZ Update

03:57

BOSTON – More than five inches of snow fell in several towns in eastern Massachusetts on Friday. Boston picked up 4.4″ of snow, one of the biggest snowfalls in almost three years. 

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Here are the latest snow totals from the National Weather Service, Rob Macedo, the SKYWARN Coordinator for the National Weather Service in Taunton, and WBZ-TV Weather Watchers.  

Norwood 6.0 inches
Dedham 6.0
Walpole 5.5
Needham 5.5
Danvers 5.3
Topsfield 5.0
Cambridge 4.9
Newton 4.5
Boston 4.4
Randolph 4.0
Foxboro 4.0
Milford 3.2
Rehoboth 3.2
Millville 3.0
North Attleboro 2.0
West Yarmouth 2.0
Worcester 1.0



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