A new COVID variant is on the rise in the United States, variant KP.2, estimated at 28.2% of sequenced variants for the two-week period ending May 11, 2024, according to the CDC's variant proportions Nowcast (using the "Nowcast"). The KP.2 variant is one of a set of new variants nicknamed as the FLiRT variants after the F456L + R346T spike protein where this variant shows changes. The new variants have raised concerns of a potential summer COVID surge. The family of FLiRT variants also includes KP.2, KP.3, JN.1.7, JN.1.1, and KP.1.1. The "Nowcast" for the week ending May 11, 2024, currently shows the following proportions for those variants:

• KP.2: 28.2%
• KP.1.1: 7.1%
• Others are not prevalent enough to display