What are FLiRT COVID variants and how do they differ from previous strains?

The so-called FLiRT variants of SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus that cause COVID-19 have been the dominant forms of the virus circulating this year globally, according to the World Health Organization

The moniker FLiRT is an acronym for the locations of the mutations the variants share on the virus’ spike protein. One of them, called KP.2, has become the most commonly circulating variant in the United…