Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: The city has reported 7 cases of the new KP-2 variant of corona, first detected in the United States. Fortunately, all patients from April have recovered after treatment, informed the municipal corporation health department.
The new variant's presence came to light after genome sequencing of samples from the first eight corona patients detected in the city between April 4 and 13. The reports, received on May 6, revealed seven cases of the KP-2 variant and one of the older JN-1 variants. Two of these patients, who hadn't received the corona vaccine, underwent home isolation and have since recovered.
Currently, one more suspected case is in home isolation, awaiting genome sequencing results. Their previous home isolation period ended on Sunday, signifying recovery.
KP-2 spreads quickly but considered less serious
Dr Meenakshi Bhattacharya, head of the medicine department at GMCH, advised caution despite the variant's lower severity compared to Omicron. The KP-2 variant, also found in the US and Canada, spreads rapidly. Dr Bhattacharya emphasized wearing masks in crowded places, especially for those with weakened immune systems.