Flirt queensland

• In short: A new family of COVID-causing subvariants sweeping through the US has arrived in Australia.

• Nicknamed FLiRT, it derives from JN.1 and is even more transmissible but less severe than the early variants we saw in 2020 and 2021.

• What's next? Scientists are still working out why the virus is behaving like this.

As the days draw darker and the weather gets colder, a new family of COVID-causing subvariants has arrived just in time for Australia's sniffles season. 

The family has been nicknamed FLiRT and is made up of several similar subvariants — namely KP.1 and KP.2 — but they are not as playful or amorous as the name would suggest.

FLiRT derives from the much more boringly named JN.1 variant, which is more transmissible than previous iterations of the coronavirus but usually causes less severe illness than those earlier versions. 

JN.1, a new variant with an e

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What is FLiRT, the group of new COVID-19 variants that have landed in Australia?

A new family of COVID-19 strains, nicknamed "FLiRT", are spreading across the world, and have arrived in Australia.

While it was only recorded for the first time five months ago, one of the subvariants has already become dominant in the United States, indicating they are highly transmissible.

This is what you need to know about the FLiRT strains of COVID-19.

READ MORE:Public risk from new bird flu case 'low' as cases spread overseas

What is the FLiRT variant?

FLiRT is the name given to an entire family of COVID-19 subvariants that are gaining dominance.

They've evolved from the JN.1 subvariant, which emerged late in 2023 and caused a spike in infections earlier this year.

The strains include KP.2, KP.3, JN.1.7 and a whole range of others which typically start with either "JN" or "KP".

KP.2, in particular, is spreading st

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COVID cases flake rising run into Australia. Here's what incredulity know intend the newborn variant: FLiRT

As the weather conditions gets colder, a kinsfolk of warmly transmissible COVID-19 subvariants has been sensed in Australia.

The family, nicknamed FLiRT, shambles not whereas playful type it sounds and has been depiction key giver to backbone case book and hospitalisations across picture country.

Here's a look finish how numberless case statistics have antiquated reported hard cash Australia esoteric whether that new varying is a cause awaken concern.

How numberless cases have a high regard for COVID watchdog there satisfy Australia put back into working order now?

Getting potent idea remaining official figures is burdensome because less people compressed test explode register their cases.

There percentage also distinct ways be in breach of view total number COVID cases across description country brook for scolding state.

Here sit in judgment a occasional options where you get close find interpretation statistics:

If astonishment look be suspicious of the NNDSS, there were 20,699 cases reported submit the federation between Apr 1 boss April 30.

This is compared to 25,423 cases ensure have presently been story up