They sound like spring fever, but are anything but pleasant for those affected. The new Corona variants KP.1, KP.2 and KP.3, which are considered so-called flirt variants, are apparently on the rise – according to the Federal Ministry of Health Also in Germany.
In particular, the subvariant KP.3, a variation of the already known Omicron variant, is said to be the reason for an increased incidence of infections.
“The contagiousness is high, which means that the variants are very easily transmissible,” said a spokesman for the Lower Saxony State Health Office (NLGA).
Die current seven-day incidence is 5.1 (July 31, 2024). It describes how many new infections per 100,000 inhabitants were reported in the past seven days.
According to the NLGA, the actual incidence is likely to be many times higher, as testing and reporting is now only carried out on a case-by-case basis.
According to the NLGA spokesperson, the symptoms of the new corona variants are those known from the pandemic, such as cold symptoms, aching limbs and cough.
According to the experts, there is not yet a final assessment of the severity of the disease after infection with the new variants.
So are we facing a new summer wave of corona? The Lower Saxony Association of General Practitioners is reporting that more people are coming to the practices with respiratory infections.
These illnesses are partly associated with disturbances in the sense of taste and short-term high fever, which indicates corona, according to association chairman Matthias Berndt.