The COVID-19 pandemic is not yet a thing of the past. From one part of the world to the other, Italy included, infections rise and fall depending on the periods and seasons, even if these small waves are much less worrying than in the past. With the continued circulation of the virus they also continue its mutations and periodically there are many new variants that are identified. In recent weeks, it has emerged insistently from the United States Kp3 variant. What do we know so far?
COVID cases in Italy
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The official data from the Italian health authorities speak clearly. In the week included between June 6th and 12th have been registered 1,802 cases of COVID-19 (+35.6% compared to the previous week, i.e. from 30 May to 5 June) with 17 deaths (+70% compared to the previous week) and 304 positive coronavirus tests recorded in Italy on Wednesday 12 June, latest daily data available, up 24.6% compared to seven days earlier.
According to the latest COVID-19 monitoring by the Ministry of Health, the variant JN.1, with all its sub-lineages, remains predominant. The new KP3 variant, at the moment, it is not causing particular concern in our country, although we will have to wait for the monitoring which will be released at the end of June and it is not certain that the situation will remain this way given the rapid spread of the other variants over the last few years.
The new KP3 variant. What do we know?
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First identified last October in the United States, the KP3 variant is currently the most widespread in the USA, with an incidence of 25% on all registered cases throughout the United States, a percentage destined to increase given the speed with which it is circulating. According to what the researchers discovered, despite rapid spread and symptoms similar in all respects to those caused by other variants, KP3 would resemble the Delta variant of COVID-19, but would not be as aggressive. The attention of experts is also focusing on one of its variants, KP.3.1.1which would be spreading just as quickly.
Do we need a new anti-Covid vaccine?
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The scientific community has not yet given certainties on theeffectiveness of current vaccines against the new variant. In the United States we have been talking about it for a few weeks new wave of vaccines which will be made available to the population in view of the autumn, but at the moment a decision has not been made.
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Recently theUS Drug Agency (FDA) has established that the new vaccine for the autumn will have to be targeted at the KP.2 variantbut things could change since this variant has already been surpassed for diffusion from the new KP3 with 25% against 22.5% of Kp2 according to the most recent data from US health authorities.
