SAN FRANCISCO - Two new COVID variants are rapidly spreading across the United States - including in California.

Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, a professor and doctor specializing in infectious disease at the University of California, San Francisco, said recent data shows the new strains, KP.1.1 and KP.2 more commonly known as 'FLiRT' variants - have escalated quickly since March. '(FLiRT) is likely more transmissible, because it's rising up the charts,' Chin-Hong said. 'Not only in terms of absolute numbers but the speed at which it is rising,' he told SFGate.

In late March, Chin-Hong said the FLiRT variants made up less than 4 percent of all COVID-19 cases. As of May 11th, KP.2 numbers have surged to 28% and KP.1.1 has escalated to 7 percent nationwide.

Although state-specific data is not available, he said these numbers mirror the rapid spread of the variants across California.

Story Date: July 17, 2024