What to Know About the New 'Subclade K' Flu Variant

Flu season has come early in the U.K. Cases began to tick up in October, more than a month ahead of when epidemiologists generally expect the season to start. Driving the surge is a new variant, and while flu viruses are always evolving, this one has racked up an impressive number of mutations relatively quickly.

“This one has evolved a bit more rapidly, with more changes than we normally see,” says Jamie Lopez Bernal, a consultant epidemiologist at the U.K. Health Security Agency (UKHSA).

What is subclade K? The variant is known as influenza A subtype H3N2 subclade K–sometimes called “subclade K” for short—and it has been detected in Japan as well, where public health authorities declared a flu epidemic last month.

The mutations mean the variant is a bit different from the viral material included in this year’s updated vaccines. At the end of October, Canadian scientists warned that the mutations warranted close observation, including regular sequencing of virus DNA and checks to see whether current vaccines are working. On Nov. 12, Lopez Bernal and his colleagues at the UKHSA released preliminary results from the U.K. suggesting that so far, vaccination is still providing significant protection against hospitalization and severe illness.

Read more at: https://time.com/7333660/subclade-k-flu-variant/