Amidst surge in sub-lineages of COVID-19 — 290 cases of KP.2 and 34 cases of KP.1 in India— the Union Health Ministry here has clarified that they are all sub-variants of JN1, with no associated increase in hospitalisation or severe cases. It also stressed that mutations are expected in viruses like SARS-CoV-2.
“So there is no reason for concern or panic. The mutations will keep happening at a rapid pace and this is the natural behaviour of viruses like SARS-CoV2,” said a senior official from the Ministry.
Singapore is seeing a new COVID-19 wave as the authorities recorded more than 25,900 cases from May 5 to 11 with KP.1 and KP.2 accounting for over two-thirds of cases in that country.However, the officials here said that there was nothing to worry as the Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG) surveillance is sensitive and is able to pick up the emergence of any new variant and samples are also picked from hospitals in a structured manner to detect any change in the severity of disease due to virus.
Data compiled by the INSACOG showed that 34 cases of KP.1 have been found across seven states and UTs with 23 cases registered from West Bengal.
The other states are Goa (1), Gujarat (2), Haryana (1), Maharashtra (4) Rajasthan (2) and Uttarakhand (1). As many as 290 cases of KP.2 have been registered with Maharashtra reporting the highest number at 148, according to the data.
The other states and Union territories are Delhi (1), Goa (12), Gujarat (23), Haryana (3), Karnataka (4), Madhya Pradesh (1), Odisha (17), Rajasthan (21), Uttar Pradesh (8), Uttarakhand (16) and West Bengal (36).
Globally, the predominant COVID-19 variants are still JN.1 and its sub-lineages, including KP.1 and KP.2.
KP.1 and KP.2 belong to a group of COVID-19 variants scientists have nicknamed 'FLiRT', after the technical names of their mutations.
The strains in FLiRT are all descendants of the JN.1 variant, an offshoot of the Omicron variant. KP.2 was classified by the World Health Organization as a Variant Under Monitoring.