The current COVID variant you should know about: What the CDC is saying about KP.3.1.1

Ahjané Forbes, USA TODAY
·7 min read
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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is now monitoring the COVID-19 variant KP.3.1.1 as it edges close to KP.3.

The government agency's Nowcast data tracker showed the projections of the COVID-19 variants for a two-week period starting on July 7 and ending on July 20. The KP.3 variant accounted for 32.9% of positive infections, followed by KP.3.1.1, at 17.7%. Combined, the two variants make up 50.6% of cases.

"The KP.3.1.1 variant is very similar to other circulating variants in the United States. All current lineages are descendants of JN.1, which emerged in late 2023," CDC Spokesperson Rosa Norman told USA TODAY. "At this time, we anticipate that COVID-19 treatments and vaccines will continue to work against all circulating variants. CDC will continue to monitor the severity of variants and will monitor vaccine effectiveness."

The data also shows that from June 23 to July 6, KP.3 was at 33.7% during the previous two-week period. The strain decreased in positivity by 0.8%. However, KP.3.1.1. rose 10.9% from 6.8% for the period ending on July 6 to 17.7% on July 20.

Here is what you need to know about the KP.3.1.1 variant.

See latest CDC data: COVID-19 variant KP.3 remains dominant in US, rises to 36.9% of cases

How are KP.3 and KP.3.1.1 variants similar?

The KP.3.1.1 COVID-19 variant is a strain that is the second most prevalent at the national, regional and state level, according to the CDC's Nowcast data tracker.

"KP.3.1.1 is a sub-lineage of KP.3," Norman said.

How are KP.3 and KP.3.1.1 different?

Norman previously explained that KP.3.1.1 has one change in spike protein.

JN.1, a variant that has been circulating since December 2023, only saw a single change in spike, unlike the KP.3 variant, which is a sub-lineage of the JN.1, CDC Spokesperson Dave Daigle previously told USA TODAY.

"KP.3.1.1 has one change in the spike protein in comparison to KP.3," she said.

The most common COVID variants currently

Norman explains which variants are more prevalent in July 2024.

"We are predicting that the most prevalent lineages currently are KP.3, KP.3.1.1, KP.2.3 and LB.1, a sublineage of JN.1," she said. "All these lineages are descendants of JN.1 and have similar spike proteins."

Summer surge? CDC says peaks with COVID can vary

In addition, Norman explains which times of the year COVID-19 cases typically rise.

"Data from four years of COVID-19 tests, hospitalizations and deaths show that COVID-19 has winter peaks — most recently in late December 2023 and early January 2024. Hospital data has also shown smaller summer peaks — most recently in July and August of 2023," she said. "There is no distinct COVID-19 season like there is for influenza (flu) and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). While flu and RSV have a generally defined fall/winter seasonality and circulate at low levels in most parts of the United States in the summer, COVID-19 activity occurs at other times of the year."

Although CDC data shows that COVID-19 test positivity has risen to 12.6% within the past week, Norman said that the data from the previous week shows a minimal increase.

"In April and May 2024, COVID-19 activity was lower than at any time since the first U.S. pandemic wave. Recent increases need to be considered from that baseline. For the week ending July 13, 2024, COVID-19 test positivity increased to 12.6%, which is up 1.2% from the previous week," she said. "COVID-19 activity tends to fluctuate with the seasons, meaning it has some seasonal patterns driven by new variants and decreasing immunity from previous infections and vaccinations."

While the CDC continues to monitor the circulation of all of the variants, Norman explains that the, "SARS-CoV-2 evolution is unpredictable."

"The emergence of new SARS-CoV-2 variants has been associated with increased COVID-19 activity, including an increase in the magnitude of winter peaks and additional peaks at other times of the year, including the summer," she said. "Although the future pace of SARS-CoV-2 evolution is unpredictable, increased activity outside the winter season will likely continue as long as new variants emerge and immunity from previous infections and vaccinations decreases over time."

More on COVID-19: Is COVID still worth worrying about? It depends on your situation.

COVID-19 Symptoms

The CDC has not said if KP.3 or KP.3.1.1 have their own specific symptoms. However, Norman previously explained that the symptoms associated with KP.3 are similar to those from JN.1. The government agency outlines the basic symptoms of COVID-19 on its website. These symptoms can appear between two and 14 days after exposure to the virus and can range from mild to severe.

These are some of the symptoms of COVID-19:

  • Fever or chills

  • Cough

  • Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing

  • Fatigue

  • Muscle or body aches

  • Headache

  • Loss of taste or smell

  • Sore throat

  • Congestion or runny nose

  • Nausea or vomiting

  • Diarrhea

The CDC said you should seek medical attention if you have the following symptoms:

  • Trouble breathing

  • Persistent pain or pressure in the chest

  • New confusion

  • Inability to wake or stay awake

  • Pale, gray, or blue-colored skin, lips, or nail beds

CDC data shows the COVID-19 test positivity by state

CDC data shows which states have the lowest and highest COVID-19 positivity rates from July 6 to July 13, 2024.

Can't see the map? Click here to view it.

The CDC data shows that COVID-19 test positivity has risen 12.6% within the past week.

On July 16, the CDC said that COVID-19 infections are growing in 42 states, stable or uncertain in 6 states, and declining to zero.

Changes in COVID-19 test positivity within a week

Data collected by the CDC shows that four states had the biggest increase of 5.6% in positive COVID-19 cases from July 6 to July 13, 2024.

Here's the list of states and their changes in COVID-19 positivity for the past week.

  • Alabama, +3.7%

  • Alaska, +0.6%

  • Arizona, +0.7%

  • Arkansas, +3.3%

  • California, +0.7%

  • Colorado, +3.1%

  • Connecticut, +3.4%

  • Delaware, +3.6%

  • District of Columbia, +3.6%

  • Florida, +3.7%

  • Georgia, +3.7%

  • Hawaii, +0.7%

  • Idaho, +0.5%

  • Illinois, +4.7%

  • Indiana, +4.7%

  • Iowa, +5.6%

  • Kansas, +5.6%

  • Kentucky, +3.7%

  • Louisiana, +3.3%

  • Maine, +3.4%

  • Maryland, +3.6%

  • Massachusetts, +3.4%

  • Michigan, +4.7%

  • Minnesota, +4.7%

  • Mississippi, +3.7%

  • Missouri, +5.6%

  • Montana, +3.1%

  • Nebraska, +5.6%

  • Nevada, +0.7%

  • New Hampshire, +3.4%

  • New Jersey, +5.5%

  • New Mexico, +3.3%

  • New York, +5.5%

  • North Carolina, +3.7%

  • North Dakota, +3.1%

  • Ohio, +4.7%

  • Oklahoma, +3.3%

  • Oregon, +0.6%

  • Pennsylvania, +3.6%

  • Puerto Rico, +5.5%

  • Rhode Island, +3.4%

  • South Carolina, +3.7%

  • South Dakota, +3.1%

  • Tennessee, +3.7%

  • Texas, +3.3%

  • Utah, +3.1%

  • Vermont, +3.4%

  • Virginia. +3.6%

  • Washington, +0.6%

  • West Virginia, +3.6%

  • Wisconsin, +4.7%

  • Wyoming, +3.1%

How can we protect ourselves from KP.3, KP.3.1.1, and other variants?

The CDC recommends that everyone 6 months old and older get the updated 2024-2025 COVID-19 vaccine. Norman also recommends that the elderly and those who are immunocompromised should get vaccinated in order to protect themselves from COVID-19.

Ahjané Forbes is a reporter on the National Trending Team at USA TODAY. Ahjané covers breaking news, car recalls, crime, health, lottery and public policy stories. Email her at aforbes@gannett.com. Follow her on Instagram, Threads and X (Twitter) @forbesfineest.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: COVID-19 variant KP.3.1.1 cases are rising: Symptoms, spread, CDC data