FLiRT: Here's What You Should Know About the New COVID Variant

PHOTO BY Jerome Ascano

(SPOT.ph)The latest COVID variation on the World Health Organization's radar is called FLiRT. While the days of lockdowns are thankfully behind us, it is still best to pay attention if we do not want a repeat.

In Singapore, FLiRT has led to a surge in cases, nearly doubling to 25,900 from May 5 to 11 compared to the previous week. This has prompted Singapore’s Ministry of Health to once again advise mask-wearing in crowded places, regardless of someone's COVID-19 exposure.

Is there a similar cause for alarm in the Philippines?

The Department of Health (DOH) maintains that the Philippines is at low risk for COVID-19 even amid reports of new variants emerging globally. From May 7 to 13, the DOH only recorded 877 cases of COVID-19, with an average of 125 cases reported per day.

"The variant isn’t serious, that’s why it’s only classified as Variants Under Monitoring," DOH Secretary Ted Herbosa said in a media briefing. "I’m watching the events in Singapore… Nagkataon lang noong 2020 that there was a variant that caused very serious illness. Over time, what happened is we got immunization from the vaccines, but the virus itself also mutated to a weaker strain."

Also read:Just Take a Break If You Have COVID, the Grind Can Wait

What is the new COVID-19 variant FLiRT?

Yes, the new variant is actually called FLiRT. The name comes from a playful combination of the amino acid changes seen in these variants.

FLiRT is not a single variant but a family of subvariants that emerged from the Omicron lineage, specifically the JN.1 strain that caused a slight uptick in infection cases earlier this year. Early studies suggest that these variants have mutations that allow them to evade some immune responses, potentially leading to a higher chance of reinfection. The good news is that JN.1 strain is found to be less severe compared to previous waves.

FLiRT symptoms are similar to other COVID-19 variants, including fever, cough, sore throat, fatigue, muscle aches, and loss of taste or smell.

Should we be worried about the FLiRT variant?

Although Herbosa has previously stated he does not see the need to implement border control and mandatory wearing of face masks, the DOH has recently ordered the Bureau of Quarantine (BOQ) to be on "heightened alert" in Memorandum No. 2024-48.

"All stations have been directed to conduct thorough screening at Points of Entry for arriving visitors originating from countries where COVID FLiRT indicants have been detected," the memorandum read.

In addition, infectious diseases expert Dr. Rontgene Solante warned that originally administered vaccines might not offer substantial protection against the new variants.

"Nakakalungkot lang dahilbecause of the mutations, itong mga bagongvariants, hindi na tayo protektado doon sa unang mga bakuna natin na mga nakuha. In fact, may mga updated COVID vaccines na hindi available dito sa Pilipinas," Solante said in a Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon interview.

"Talagang tayong lahat ay vulnerable na at kaya dito natin sasabihin sa publiko na talagang mag-ingat tayo at mag-matyag sa mga sintomas natin dahil pwede tayong mag-severe,especially sa mga matatanda, even if you are vaccinated."

To keep protected against the new variant, the standard precautions remain the same says the DOH: wear masks in crowded places, practice regular hand washing, and get vaccinated or boosted if eligible.

Also read:GUIDE: Isolation and Quarantine Rules for COVID Exposure