Key TakeawaysAs of early June, the KP.3 variant was the most dominant in the United States, accounting for about a quarter of all COVID cases.Experts said there’s no reason to believe KP.3 is causing any new symptoms of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID.COVID cases have risen slightly in recent weeks, and it’s important to get tested if you start experiencing symptoms, according to health officials.

Key Takeaways

As of early June, the KP.3 variant was the most dominant in the United States, accounting for about a quarter of all COVID cases.Experts said there’s no reason to believe KP.3 is causing any new symptoms of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID.COVID cases have risen slightly in recent weeks, and it’s important to get tested if you start experiencing symptoms, according to health officials.

According to the latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a COVID variant known as KP.3 is becoming more prominent in the United States.

If you’ve recently had COVID-19, there is a good chance you had one of these newer variants. “Together, these variants make up approximately 70% of currently circulating [COVID-19 infections],” Wang said. (That said, unless you submit a viral sample to a laboratory for sequencing, it’s impossible to tell which variant you have or had; at-home tests do not distinguish between COVID-19 variants.)

While there haven’t been any recent changes in the number of deaths or hospitalizations COVID-19 is causing, there was an uptick in the test positivity rate during the first week of June, per CDC data.

Experts say it’s important totest yourself for COVID-19if you suspect you may have a virus, even though cold and flu season has passed.

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What We Know About KP.3

Though KP.3 has become more dominant recently, experts aren’t seeing any new or unusual symptoms.

“There is no evidence yet that symptoms of KP.3 or other FLiRT variants are associated with new symptoms beyond what we’ve seen with recent other strains of the virus,” Wang said.

In general, healthcare providers aren’t seeing anything “new or different” with the new KP.3 variant,Waleed Javaid, MD, epidemiologist and director of Infection Prevention and Control at Mount Sinai Downtown, told Verywell.

There’s no reason to believe rapid tests won’t detect KP.3 or viral mutations. Like other viruses, the virus that causes illness with COVIDmutatesto become more adaptable. These mutations occur when the virus’s genetic code changes, which may make it easier to infect more people.

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When to Test for COVID

Despite the warmer weather, COVID-19 is still circulating. Wang said she has seen the current data, showing an uptick in cases reflected in her region.

“We are seeing a similar frequency and distribution of [the dominant] variants in our region based on local surveillance sequencing data,” she explained. “We are seeing a slight increase in the [COVID-19] test positivity rate, similar to other parts of the country, but overall hospitalization and emergency department visit rates still remain relatively low.”

If you suspect you may have COVID-19, it’s important to test yourself, especially if you plan on being around anyimmunocompromisedmembers of your community. “Consider testing before coming in contact with people who have a high risk of getting severe COVID-19, like [older adults], people who are immunocompromised, and others with certain medical conditions,” Javaid said.

Two scenarios should prompt you to test, Javaid added: You should use a rapid test if you’ve been exposed to someone with a confirmed case of COVID or if you’re experiencingsymptoms of the virus, such as fever or chills, fatigue, cough, or sore throat.

Certain health conditions may prompt certain people to test outside of these two scenarios, Wang added. “There are some other reasons your healthcare provider may recommend testing,” and you should consult with a healthcare provider about how frequently you should test if you have any chronic medical conditions.

What This Means For You

8 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Monitoring variant proportions.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.COVID-19 update for the United States.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.SARS-CoV-2 variant classifications and definitions.Food and Drug Administration.Understanding at-home OTC COVID-19 antigen diagnostic test results.Food and Drug Administration.SARS-CoV-2 viral mutations: impact on COVID-19 tests.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Symptoms of COVID-19.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.COVID-19 testing: what you need to know.Food and Drug Administration.At-home COVID-19 antigen tests—take steps to reduce your risk of false negative results: FDA safety communication.

8 Sources

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Monitoring variant proportions.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.COVID-19 update for the United States.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.SARS-CoV-2 variant classifications and definitions.Food and Drug Administration.Understanding at-home OTC COVID-19 antigen diagnostic test results.Food and Drug Administration.SARS-CoV-2 viral mutations: impact on COVID-19 tests.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Symptoms of COVID-19.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.COVID-19 testing: what you need to know.Food and Drug Administration.At-home COVID-19 antigen tests—take steps to reduce your risk of false negative results: FDA safety communication.

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Monitoring variant proportions.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.COVID-19 update for the United States.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.SARS-CoV-2 variant classifications and definitions.Food and Drug Administration.Understanding at-home OTC COVID-19 antigen diagnostic test results.Food and Drug Administration.SARS-CoV-2 viral mutations: impact on COVID-19 tests.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Symptoms of COVID-19.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.COVID-19 testing: what you need to know.Food and Drug Administration.At-home COVID-19 antigen tests—take steps to reduce your risk of false negative results: FDA safety communication.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Monitoring variant proportions.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.COVID-19 update for the United States.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.SARS-CoV-2 variant classifications and definitions.

Food and Drug Administration.Understanding at-home OTC COVID-19 antigen diagnostic test results.

Food and Drug Administration.SARS-CoV-2 viral mutations: impact on COVID-19 tests.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Symptoms of COVID-19.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.COVID-19 testing: what you need to know.

Food and Drug Administration.At-home COVID-19 antigen tests—take steps to reduce your risk of false negative results: FDA safety communication.

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