- KP.3 is currently the most common COVID-19 variant in the United States
- This strain is descended from JN.1, which was the dominant variant this winter.
- Doctors don’t expect it to cause more serious illness.
There have been a lot of changes with COVID-19 over the past few months, but a new variant is poised to become the dominant strain of the summer: KP.3.
KP.3 is part of a trio known as FLiRT variants and just surpassed its FLiRT variant KP.2 as the most common COVID-19 strain in America, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Currently, KP.3 is responsible for 25% of COVID-19 cases in the country.
Meet the experts: William Schaffner, MD, infectious disease specialist and professor at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Roy Giulick, MD, chief of infectious diseases at Weill-Cornell Medicine, Amesh A. Adalja, MD, senior scholar at Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, Hana El Sahly, MD, professor of molecular virology and microbiology at Baylor College of Medicine
Unfortunately, COVID-19 cases appear to be increasing and emergency room visits related to the virus have also increased. But what is KP.3 and how concerned should you be about it this summer and beyond? Infectious disease doctors break it down.
What is the KP.3 variant of COVID-19?
KP.3 is a member of a group of COVID-19 variants known as FLiRT variants. (FLiRT variants include KP.2, which was the previous dominant strain in the United States, and KP.1.1.)
“It’s the successor to the KP.2,” says William Schaffner, MD, an infectious disease specialist and professor at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. KP.3 belongs to the Omicron family and evolved from JN.1, which was the dominant COVID-19 strain this winter, Dr. Schaffner points out. “It’s sort of a grandchild of Omicron,” says Dr. Schaffner.
It’s not shocking, however, that there is a new dominant variant of COVID-19, says Roy Giulick, MD, chief of infectious diseases at Weill-Cornell Medicine. “As the COVID-19 virus continues to evolve, it continues to cause changes that lead to other variants,” he says.
Dr. Schaffner also notes that KP.3 is “highly contagious and is currently spreading.” KP.3 and JN.1 are very similar, he says: There are only a few changes in the spike protein between them, which SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, uses to latch onto your cells and infect you.
What are the symptoms of KP.3?
The symptoms of KP.3 have been similar to those of COVID-19 for years. “The symptoms remain those of an upper respiratory infection,” says Dr. Giulick. According to the CDC, this may include:
- Fever or chills
- Cough
- Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
- Fatigue
- Muscle or body pain
- Headache
- New loss of taste or smell
- Sore throat
- Congestion or runny nose
- Nausea or vomiting
- Diarrhea
How is KP.3 processed?
Existing antiviral drugs should work against KP.3, says Dr. Schaffner. This means you can treat symptoms of a mild infection with over-the-counter medications like acetaminophen or ibuprofen, according to the CDC.
If you are at high risk of developing more serious illness, prescription medications like Paxlovid, Veklury, and Lagevrio may help, as long as you start them within five to seven days of symptoms appearing.
How to prevent KP.3 infection?
To reduce your risk of getting a KP.3 infection, Dr. Schaffner recommends being up to date with your COVID-19 vaccinations. (While being vaccinated doesn’t necessarily prevent you from getting infected, it can reduce the risk of developing serious illness if you get sick, he says.)
If you’re in what’s considered an incredibly high-risk group, you may want to talk to your doctor about taking the new pre-exposure antibody Pemgarda, says Amesh A. Adalja, MD, a senior researcher at Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security. . This is an investigational medicine designed for people who have moderate to severe immune weakening because of a health problem or because they are receiving medicines or treatments that suppress the immune system and there is little likely to respond well to the COVID-19 vaccine. , according to the FDA.
Beyond that, Dr. Schaffner recommends doing your best to avoid crowded indoor activities, especially if you are considered at high risk for serious infection, that is, you are an elderly person, that you are immunocompromised or that you are pregnant. “If you go inside, bring your mask,” he said. Look for a well-fitted KN95 or N95 face mask. Washing your hands regularly can also help, says Dr. Giulick.
When you’re outside, Dr. Schaffner says you can go without a mask, whether you’re considered high risk or not. “I’m very careful and don’t wear a mask when I’m outside,” he says.
Still, it can be difficult to completely eliminate the risk of contracting COVID-19. “This is an endemic virus and you cannot completely limit your risk of infection, as with any other respiratory virus, if you interact socially with individuals,” says Dr. Adalja.
Will the fall COVID-19 vaccine protect against KP.3?
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee recently met to determine COVID-19 vaccine updates for the fall. This advisory group voted to recommend that the FDA require vaccine manufacturers to update their current COVID-19 vaccines to be more effective against the JN.1 lineage.
“The fall vaccine should protect against KP.3,” says Hana El Sahly, MD, professor of molecular virology and microbiology at Baylor College of Medicine. “The vaccine composition targets the JN.1 variant, from which KP.3 evolved and with which it is closely related.”
Korin Miller is a freelance writer specializing in general wellness, sexual health and relationships, and lifestyle trends, with work published in Men’s Health, Women’s Health, Self, Glamour, and more. She has a master’s degree from American University, lives by the beach, and hopes to one day own a teacup pig and a taco truck.