The new strains of the coronavirus, which have spread on a global scale, are causing great concern to infectious disease specialists. Many are predicting a spike in Covid cases in the summer.
According to a CNBC report, FLiRT variants - named after the names of the mutations in the genetic code of the variants - are on the rise in the US and Europe as the coronavirus continues to mutate from older strains.
The new variants are a branch of Omicron
According to experts, the new strains come from the dominant variant JN.1, an offshoot of Omicron. So far there is little evidence that the new strains are more serious, but they appear to have independently picked up the same set of mutations, according to the John Hopkins School of Public Health.
KP.2 is now the dominant strain in the US, according to the latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The strain accounted for 28,2% of all cases as of May 11, a few months after the strain was first discovered.
Cases of KP.1.1, another variant of FLiRT, have also increased and account for 7,1% of current infections. In Europe, too, cases have increased, with the new variant now detected in 14 countries.
Last week, the UK's Health Security Agency said it was continuing to monitor data on new variants in the UK and internationally, assessing their severity and the continued effectiveness of vaccines. "There is no change to the wider public health advice at this time," the agency said in an update.
"Bell" of experts for the summer
"At this time it seems unlikely that new variants of the coronavirus have the potential to create a new wave of cases, as has been seen in the past when public immunity was lower," said Jennifer Horney, a professor of epidemiology at the University of Delaware.
He added that the new strains will likely lead to an increase in cases in the coming summer months. "Although our idea of what a wave of cases looks like has changed during the pandemic, it is likely that these new strains will cause an increase in the number of cases in the US in the coming months," Horney told CNBC via email. mail.
She also said, "Many will be mild, based on our existing immunity," she said. Still, infectious disease experts will be watching closely to see how effective current vaccines are against the new strains.
Next month, the US Food and Drug Administration's vaccine advisory committee will meet to discuss recommendations for the vaccine's mix of variants Covid-19 of this winter, having postponed an earlier discussion to collect more data.
The WHO's plan for dealing with future pandemics is under discussion
WHO's plan for dealing with future pandemics
According to a Reuters report, health officials from 194 WHO member states believe that this week will conclude negotiations that have lasted more than two years on new rules for dealing with pandemics.
Those negotiations are expected to produce two agreements that can be formalized during the May 27-June 1 meeting: an update of existing health rules on outbreaks and a new legally binding treaty to strengthen global defenses against future pathogens after the pandemic COVID-19 which killed millions of people.
Some observers say this World Health Assembly, which will be attended by about 100 ministers, is the most important moment for the WHO since it was founded in 1948 and will define the legacy of director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, midway through his second term. . But while parts of the reforms are likely to be agreed in time, other elements are likely to be delayed.
What the conditions provide
The WHO already has binding rules, known as the International Health Regulations (2005), which define the obligations of countries when public health events have the potential to cross national borders. These include notifying the WHO immediately of a health emergency and measures on trade and travel.
One of the most important parts of the treaty is Article 12, which provides for the reservation of about 20% of tests, treatments and vaccines for the WHO to distribute to the poorest countries during emergencies, although the exact percentage is still in dispute, negotiators say.
It would be only the second such health accord after the 2003 Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, a treaty aimed at reducing smoking through taxation and rules on labeling and advertising.
What is changing in global health rules
Updates to IHR rules include a new alert system to communicate different risk assessments for future outbreaks, following criticism that cumbersome existing rules slowed the global response to the emergency COVID-19.
Currently, the WHO has only one level of emergency – public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC) – while the new system provides for an intermediate stage called an "early action alert".
Negotiators are also considering a "pandemic emergency" for the most serious public health threats, addressing a loophole in its current system, which does not use the term pandemic at all.
Other revisions include efforts to strengthen states' obligations, in one case strengthening the wording on their duties to notify WHO of public health events from "may" to "must".
Big cracks in the negotiations
The negotiations were characterized by wide gaps between the positions of rich and poorer countries. Treaty talks missed a key May 10 deadline and nearly collapsed, prompting Tedros to call an emergency meeting last week to boost morale, sources involved in the talks said.
Aside from the distribution of drugs and vaccines, one of the most contentious aspects is funding, including whether to create a special fund or tap into existing resources, such as the World Bank's $1 billion pandemic fund.
Negotiations have sometimes dragged on late into the night, getting bogged down in technicalities. Another factor constraining negotiators is political pressure on the treaty, particularly from right-wing groups and politicians who say it threatens sovereignty, something the WHO strongly denies.
Source: in.gr