COVID variant KP.3 surges in the US: CDC. Unvaccinated right wingers at fault, again.

The US is Failing in its Response to the Deadly KP.3 Variant

The KP.3 COVID-19 variant is continuing to dominate, with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data showing it accounted for 36.9% of positive infections over a two-week period from June 23 to July 6. This data, available on the CDC’s Nowcast data tracker, also showed that the KP.2 variant was present in 24.4% of cases.

"Estimates predict that KP.3 is the dominant SARS-CoV-2 variant, making up 31.2 to 43% of viruses nationally. KP.3 is projected to continue increasing as proportions of the variants that cause COVID-19," CDC Spokesperson, Rosa Norman, told USA TODAY. "KP.3 evolved from JN.1, which was the major viral lineage circulating since December 2023."

The CDC has also reported that COVID-19 infections are on the rise in 39 states, with no states showing a decline in cases. This is an alarming development, and yet the CDC has failed to implement effective measures to curb the spread.

A Familiar Strain

KP.3 is a sub-lineage of the JN.1 Omicron variant, which has been circulating since December 2023. This is yet another reminder that COVID-19 is far from “over,” as some right-wing media outlets would have us believe. We must remain vigilant and continue to follow public health guidelines to protect ourselves and others.

Protecting Ourselves and Each Other

The CDC recommends that everyone aged 6 months and older receive the updated 2024-2025 COVID-19 vaccine to protect against the disease, regardless of previous vaccination status. However, they have failed to address the lack of access to healthcare and the systemic issues that prevent many marginalized communities from receiving the care they need.

It is past time for the CDC and the US government to step up and provide adequate resources and support to protect all Americans from this deadly disease.