New Variants of COVID Detected And The Symptoms

Medical Researvhers has detected a new variants, nicknamed FLiRT, which was detected in wastewater surveillance data, the CDC said.

The new data means KP.2 is officially the dominant variant in the United States, over JN.1 which began to spread globally in the winter and made up 22% of cases in the same two-week time span.

Right now, the CDC said KP.2 shouldn't cause more severe sickness than other variants of the virus.

However, the agency will continue monitoring community transmission of the virus and how vaccines perform against KP.2.

The "FLiRT" variant reportedly has similar symptoms from previous variants, which include:

• Fever or chills
• Cough
• Sore throat
• Congestion or runny nose
• Headache
• Muscle aches
• Difficulty breathing
• Fatigue
• New loss of taste or smell
• "Brain fog" (feeling less wakeful and aware)
• Gastrointestinal symptoms (upset stomach, mild diarrhea, vomiting)

COVID incubation period 2024

While the incubation period for COVID can vary depending on the variant you're infected with, the CDC said symptoms may appear two to 14 days after exposure.

What to know about Ivermectin and COVID

There has been interest throughout the pandemic in treating or preventing COVID-19 with the drug ivermectin, which is usually given to animals to treat parasites.

While ivermectin is approved in specific doses for humans to treat some parasitic worms, head lice or skin conditions, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has not authorized or approved ivermectin to prevent or treat COVID-19 in humans or animals. 

The agency has received reports of people requiring medical attention after using ivermectin doses intended for animals on themselves.

While some say they've had success with human doses of the drug in relieving COVID-19 symptoms most recently NewsNation anchor Chris Cuomo who formerly denounced those taking ivermectin when he was a CNN anchor the FDA said currently available clinical trial data does not demonstrate effectiveness of ivermectin against COVID-19 in humans.

However, the FDA said "health care professionals may choose to prescribe or use an approved human drug for an unapproved use when they judge that the unapproved use is medically appropriate for an individual patient."