Most people are done with COVID-19. Look around the next time you go shopping, go out to eat or get on an airplane. Almost no one is wearing a mask. Some people insist that masks do not work. Others believe that masks are worse than nothing, but they offer few, if any, solutions to avoid infection. The people who are trying hard to forget there ever was a COVID pandemic have good reason to be optimistic. The latest data from the CDC suggest that weekly deaths are “only” around 100. That’s as of May 25, 2024. So the good news is that you are not likely to die from COVID any time soon. But there is a new variant called KP.2 out there and it is spreading fast.
Will Some People Still Die from COVID?
Absolutely! If you go back just a few months you will discover that 500 to 600 people were dying weekly from this virus. That’s way better than the 2,500 people who were dying weekly around the beginning of 2024.
Those who are dying are older, mostly over the age of 65. According to the CDC, over 80% of the people who will die from COVID are past 65. People with cancer, kidney disease, liver disease, asthma, COPD, diabetes, heart disease are at the greatest risk. So are those who are immunocompromised or taking an immune suppressing drug. That’s a lot of people.
A New Variant Shows Its Face! KP.2 is Spreading:
We wish we did not have to report this, but there is a new COVID variant showing up. KP.2 is expected to surge this summer. It is spreading in Canada, the UK and now in the United States. It has also been detected in Australia and New Zealand.
This is just one of several mutations that have been lumped together under the name FLiRT. Both the spike protein and other parts of the virus have undergone mutations that may affect replication and virulence.
No one yet knows whether KP.2 will be more infectious or more dangerous than previous versions of the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
Dr. William Haseltine Describes KP.2
William Haseltine, PhD, is is a giant in the field of genetics and viral infections. He has taught at Harvard and is a recognized expert on the COVID-19 pandemic.
His latest analysis for Forbes (May 31, 2024) is comprehensive. He asks and answers a crucial question:
“how dangerous is each new version of SARS-CoV-2”?
Dr. Haseltine answers:
“Again, like the Flu, if you have been previously vaccinated, infected, or both, new variants are not so dangerous, but if you have not, emerging versions of SARS-CoV-2 could be life-threatening for those vulnerable.”
Should you wish to learn more about KP.2 and FLiRT, here is a link to Dr. Haseltine’s article in Forbes.
He ends his comprehensive review of the latest COVID variant this way:
“It remains to be seen whether KP.2 will cause a new wave of Covid cases akin to Alpha or Omicron in years past. Further, current data cannot confirm whether this variant is more pathogenic or viral than JN.1, particularly for those previously infected or vaccinated. For those who have not been infected or vaccinated, infection with KP.2 could be very serious, and they should exercise caution.
“It is crucial to be aware of these threats before they become widespread, not after. As we enter the summer months, another wave of cases could likely occur, and KP.2 is an avenue for that.”
As far as we can tell, very few people are willing to exercise caution any more. They figure that COVID is over and the hell with it.
Will You Die from COVID-19?
We certainly hope not! Will you catch SARS-CoV-2 for the first, second or third time? That’s a distinct possibility. If you are older, have chronic health conditions or a weakened immune system because you are taking a drug that affects immunity, there is a greater risk you could end up in the hospital with KP.2.
We are not out of the woods with this virus. It keeps mutating. We were told that it would gradually become less dangerous. That may be true…but we won’t know if people will die from a COVID variant like KP.2 for a few more months.
We have become numb to COVID deaths. If “only” 100 people die from COVID this week, it will barely create a ripple. I find that disappointing.
This week we also reported on a human death from bird flu in Mexico. Most people do not want to hear about H5N1 (avian influenza) and its possible transmission from birds to cows to humans. I get it. Most people just want to forget about pandemics and pretend everything is now normal. The problem is that infectious disease experts warn that the next pandemic is around the corner, whether we like it or not.
