Experts predict mild summer Covid wave as new variant KP.2 takes over

Disease experts anticipate a small uptick in Covid cases this summer, as a new variant spreads. The KP.2 variant represents 28% of Covid infections in the U.S., up from just 6% in mid-April, according to data released Friday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. KP.2 became dominant at the end of April — meaning it accounts for the largest share of new cases — outpacing the JN.1 variant, which took over in the winter. Some scientists collectively refer to KP.

“We see a late summer, early fall surge of cases, and then we see a second surge of cases right around the Christmas holidays, the New Year,” Pekosz said. “That pattern has been sort of reproducing itself for a couple of years now. The important thing, though, is the magnitude of the cases has been consistently dropping.” Several factors could help the KP.2 variant spread this summer.

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