This new variant, KP.3.1.1, is causing a surge in infections, including among those who have previously avoided the virus.
Health experts are urging community members to exercise greater caution and mask up as Pasadena and the rest of Los Angeles County deal with a sharp increase in COVID-19 cases driven in large part by a highly contagious new variant.
This reflects the general trend in the area. Last week, the level of coronavirus particles in wastewater, a proxy of COVID-19 cases in a community, rose to 44% of last winter’s peak, more than double the 17% reported in the first week of July, the LA County Public Health Department said in an emailed statement Monday.
The recent rise in COVID-19 cases are caused in part by the new variant KP.3.1.1, an off-shoot of Omicron, Dr. Elizabeth Hudson, regional chief of infectious diseases at Kaiser Permanente Southern California, headquartered in Pasadena, wrote in an emailed response Monday., which was the previous dominant variant. Together, KP.3.1.1 and KP.3 made up 27.8% and 20.1% of Omicron cases across the country for the period of July 21 to Aug.3, CDC data shows.
Both KP.3.1.1 and KP.3. belong to a new class of variant called the “FLiRT” variants, which are notable for their combination of mutations that help the virus evade antibodies while potentially improving its ability to bind to and enter cells, In the meantime, experts are also highly recommending people to take precautionary measures, such as washing hands often, staying home if they have any symptoms of the illness, including coughing, sneezing, a fever or sore throat, getting tested, and most importantly, wearing masks at crowded indoor spaces.
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