MUMBAI: The state has identified 91 cases of the new Covid-19 Omicron subvariant KP.2 that has outpaced the previously circulating JN.1 variant and is now driving cases in many countries. Pune reported 51 cases and Thane 20 cases of KP.2, first detected globally in Jan. Currently, KP.2 is the dominant variant in the US.
Maharashtra identified KP.2 cases in January. By March and April, it became the dominant strain in the region. However, there hasn’t been any proportionate increase in hospitalisations or serious cases, said Dr Rajesh Karyakarte, state’s genome sequencing coordinator. KP.2 descended from JN.1, which was the predominant Covid strain by the end of 2023. In March, the state witnessed a slight surge in cases, averaging around 250 detections, which is likely attributable to the spread of the KP.2 variant.
Besides Pune and Thane, seven cases each were identified in Amravati and Aurangabad. Solapur had two cases while Ahmednagar, Nashik, Latur and Sanglione each of the KP.2 variant. None was from Mumbai.
The recently identified group of variants, collectively known as FLiRT, primarily consists of the KP.1.1 and KP.2 strains. The nomenclature of these strains is derived from the specific mutations they possess, with one strain containing mutations represented by the letters "F" and "L", while the other strain features mutations denoted by the letters "R" and "T".
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