Post by Nadica (She/Her) on Aug 30, 2024 2:43:11 GMT
New COVID-19 variants spreading across the capital region, experts say - Published Aug 28, 2024
BATON ROUGE, La. (BRPROUD) – A new but milder variant of COVID-19 is circulating through the Baton Rouge area.
Doctors are calling these new variants of COVID-19 the “flirt group” which are sub-variants of Omicron. Those strains are known as KP.1, KP.2, and KP.3. Although it’s very contagious, it’s a mild strain of the virus.
Here in Baton Rouge, Dr. Jacob Wood with Baton Rouge General said his clinic is seeing double-digit cases.
Medical professionals say the number of patients with severe diseases or needing intensive care is low. Patients are experiencing cold-like symptoms such as congestion, body aches, sore throat, headache, and fatigue.
“If you feel like you are getting sick, it is helpful to wear a mask to protect other people,” said Wood. “Sometimes we think it’s like temperature changes, that kind of thing, but really it’s everybody’s coming back together and congregating in rooms.”
According to Baton Rouge General, numbers spiked from three percent in June to 22% in August with a slight increase in hospitalizations. That’s about four out of 100,000 people per week.
Experts say this could be related to summer travel, back-to-school, and holiday gatherings.
BATON ROUGE, La. (BRPROUD) – A new but milder variant of COVID-19 is circulating through the Baton Rouge area.
Doctors are calling these new variants of COVID-19 the “flirt group” which are sub-variants of Omicron. Those strains are known as KP.1, KP.2, and KP.3. Although it’s very contagious, it’s a mild strain of the virus.
Here in Baton Rouge, Dr. Jacob Wood with Baton Rouge General said his clinic is seeing double-digit cases.
Medical professionals say the number of patients with severe diseases or needing intensive care is low. Patients are experiencing cold-like symptoms such as congestion, body aches, sore throat, headache, and fatigue.
“If you feel like you are getting sick, it is helpful to wear a mask to protect other people,” said Wood. “Sometimes we think it’s like temperature changes, that kind of thing, but really it’s everybody’s coming back together and congregating in rooms.”
According to Baton Rouge General, numbers spiked from three percent in June to 22% in August with a slight increase in hospitalizations. That’s about four out of 100,000 people per week.
Experts say this could be related to summer travel, back-to-school, and holiday gatherings.