Recently, the new coronavirus variant KP.2 has attracted widespread attention, all because of its global epidemic and the emergence of the variant in the local sequence of the mainland, but the National Disease Control and Prevention said that the proportion of KP.2 is currently at a very low level, and the epidemic level caused by the previous variant JN.1 in the mainland has been reduced, so the possibility of the KP.2 subclade becoming the dominant epidemic strain in the short term and causing a new infection high score is low.
In addition, on May 3 this year, the WHO listed KP.2 as a "variant requiring surveillance".
What is the variant KP.2?
KP.2 is a third-generation subclade of the Omicron variant JN.1 of the new coronavirus, which has a clear transmission advantage. It was first detected in samples taken in India on January 2, 2024. Since February, KP.2 has grown rapidly as a proportion of circulating strains in the world, leading the World Health Organization to list it as a "variant requiring surveillance" on May 3. However, there is no conclusive evidence that the pathogenicity or immune evasion ability of KP.2 is significantly different from the currently circulating JN.1 variant.
What is the current trend of KP.2?
The JN.1 variant is still the dominant circulating strain worldwide. Since the beginning of this year, the KP.2 subclade has gradually emerged as a globally circulating strain. According to the data, the proportion of KP.2 increased from 0.16% in early January to about 14% in early May, showing strong growth momentum.
In some countries, the prevalence of the KP.2 subclade has reached a relatively high level, accounting for between 10% and 30%, a trend that has attracted the attention of health agencies around the world. In mainland China, the main circulating strains at this stage are JN.1, JN.1.16 and JN.1.4, and KP.2 was first detected in local cases in Guangdong on March 11 this year.
The proportion of the variant KP.2 in the weekly reported indigenous sequences is extremely low, ranging from 0.05% to 0.30%.
Some experts say that from a global perspective, the epidemic wave of the new crown does show a special pattern, they are not like a tsunami, but more similar to a series of small peaks, one after another. This epidemic pattern has a relatively small impact on society, and observations suggest that it is somewhat more harmful than seasonal influenza.
However, it is worth noting that the epidemic of the new coronavirus is affected by a variety of complex factors, including virus mutations, population immunity levels, prevention and control measures, etc., so there is a clear epidemic alternation between it and influenza, and its seasonal pattern has not yet developed as obvious and stable as influenza.
Therefore, we still cannot take the prevention and control of the new crown lightly. Although the epidemic pattern may change, we need to remain vigilant and take the necessary prevention and control measures, including strengthening vaccination, raising personal protection awareness, and strengthening surveillance and early warning. At the same time, we also need to continue to study the epidemic patterns and characteristics of the virus in order to better cope with future challenges.
The National Bureau of Disease Control and Prevention also reminded the public to continue to maintain good personal hygiene and eating habits, wear masks scientifically, live in moderation, and improve their own resistance.
In the previously released "National Novel Coronavirus Infection Epidemic Situation (April 2024)", we can see that there were 322 new severe cases in April and 14 deaths from underlying diseases combined with new coronavirus infection. Therefore, patients with underlying diseases are still the focus of attention, and this group of people should pay more attention to protection and reduce the risk of infection.
epilogue
Although the epidemic level of the new coronavirus is now low, we still cannot be careless.
Resources:
[1] Regarding the KP.2 variant of the new coronavirus, the latest answer from the National Bureau of Disease Control and Prevention
[2] The new crown variant KP.2 has appeared in the mainland, but the proportion is extremely low Expert: The possibility of triggering a new infection peak is low
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