LOS ANGELES, Aug 21 (Bernama-Xinhua) -- The KP.3.1.1 COVID-19 variant, now the predominant SARS-CoV-2 variant circulating in the United States, has been causing increasing infections in the country, the latest data from the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) showed.
KP.3.1.1, of the Omicron family, is among many currently co-circulating JN.1-derived variants in the United States.
For the two-week period ending Aug 17, KP.3.1.1 is predicted to account for between 31 per cent and 43 per cent of COVID-19 clinical specimens, compared to between 20 per cent and 26 per cent for the two-week period ending Aug 3, according to the CDC data released on Monday, reported Xinhua.
The rise in prevalence of KP.3.1.1 comes as markers of COVID-19 activity, including test positivity, emergency department visits, and hospitalisations, remain elevated, particularly among adults aged 65 years and older and children younger than 2 years.
CDC recommends that the public get COVID-19 vaccines to protect against serious illness from COVID-19. Updated COVID-19 vaccines that can provide protection during the 2024 to 2025 respiratory virus season will be available in the fall, according to the agency.
-- BERNAMA-XINHUA
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