2024-07-15 00:38:28
HEALTH.
A man and a woman are the first two cases of KP.2 or FLiRT, the new variant of covid-19, in Ecuador. This was reported by the Ministry of Public Health on Wednesday, July 3, 2024.
The first case corresponds to a 24-year-old man while the second is a 42-year-old woman. Both are in the province of Cotopaxi and have received doses of the coronavirus vaccine, the State Portfolio detailed.
He also confirmed that they have no history of illnesses and are stable at home. However, the Ministry of Health maintains “community epidemiological surveillance to ensure a timely response to contain this new variant.”
Authorities recalled that the FLiRT variant has not been shown to be serious, but it is highly contagious. Therefore, in the presence of respiratory symptoms, it is important to take biosecurity measures such as: hand hygiene, use of a mask and isolation.
The symptoms of the FLiRT variant are similar to those of seasonal flu: fever, muscle and head pain, chills, respiratory problems. However, the difference is that there may also be loss of smell or taste and gastrointestinal symptoms. All of these are similar to those recorded in previous variants that have already been overcome in the country.
This new variant has become a dominant strain in the United States. The exact origin is not known, but the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found it in wastewater in the United States.