A few weeks ago it was four percent – now it is around 20. The Corona variant KP.2 is spreading rapidly in Germany. The wastewater data also show a slight increase in infections. What you need to know.
No, Corona is not over yet. The virus is still mutating. New variants are still emerging. Always with the aim of escaping the immunity we have built up through infections and vaccinations. Whether they succeed remains to be seen. Experts are currently focusing on one variant in particular: KP.2.
KP.2, like the currently dominant JN.1, is one of the so-called “FLiRT” variants. The name is derived from the letters “F”, “L”, “R”, and “T”, which occur in the individual mutations of these variants. For example, the mutation F456L. This is located on the receptor of the spike protein of the coronavirus.
The coronavirus uses this spike protein to attack human cells. It is located on its outer shell and binds specifically to the ACE2 receptor on the surface of human cells. This allows the virus to fuse with the human cell membrane and transport its genetic material into the interior of the cell, where it continues to multiply. For this reason, the spike protein is a target for coronavirus therapies and vaccinations. However, if it has mutations, this increases the risk that it will circumvent immunity from previous infections and vaccinations – and that is precisely what makes the coronavirus and its mutations so insidious.
According to the current monitoring by the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), KP.2 accounts for almost 19 percent of new infections in the 19th calendar week (most recent status, May 6 to 12). A month earlier, the figure was just under 4 percent. The variant is also spreading in other European countries, such as the USA.
Now, it is completely normal for the virus to mutate and for new variants to form. But it becomes dangerous when these actually bypass the immune system. Then not only could the number of cases rise again – but more serious cases could also occur again.
According to experts, it remains to be seen whether this is the case with KP.2. Up until calendar week 20 (May 13 to 19), the RKI actually recorded a slightly increasing trend in the Covid incidence, albeit at a very low level. However, this did not continue in the following week. The incidence was therefore around 100 cases per 100,000 inhabitants. It should be noted, however, that the current reporting figures are based on samples and estimates, as mandatory corona tests are currently no longer being carried out in Germany.
For this reason, the RKI experts are also looking at wastewater. This monitoring showed “a slightly increasing trend at a very low level in recent weeks”. After several weeks of low, stable values, the viral load in wastewater has shown a slight increase. The viral load of Sars-CoV-2 in the 21st calendar week was around 56,000 gene copies per liter. Data from 116 sewage treatment plants were available for the 21st week, which corresponds to a coverage of around 24 percent of the total population.
The extent to which this slight increase is due to KP.2 will become clear in the coming weeks. However, according to experts, it does not necessarily mean the start of a summer wave. However, it is noticeable in that the risk of infection usually decreases in the warmer months. Risk groups should therefore be vigilant, advises US physician Eric Topol.
He recently commented on the risk of the new variant in a newsletter. He assumes that a recent JN.1 infection offers a certain degree of protection against FliRT infections. A preprint study from Japan also appears to show that KP.2 is less contagious than JN.1.
The situation is different with vaccination. Further preprint studies suggest that FLiRT variants may be better able to circumvent immune protection than JN.1, reports Time. “That’s not good,” says Topol.
The researcher therefore recommends that risk groups continue to be cautious and get vaccinated. For older people, those with chronic illnesses and those with weakened immune systems, an infection, regardless of the variant, can still be serious.
The Standing Committee on Vaccination (Stiko) continues to advise risk groups and all people over 60 to receive an annual booster vaccination with a variant adaptation currently recommended by the WHO. Tried and tested protective measures such as
help reduce the risk of infection.
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