New COVID-19 Variant Circulating, But Experts Say Serious Illness Remains Limited
PARIS, October 3, 2024 – A new COVID-19 variant, dubbed “Frankenstein” by some, is currently circulating, but health officials emphasize that vaccination remains protective against severe illness and long COVID, particularly for vulnerable populations.While the virus hasn’t disappeared and exhibits seasonal resurgences similar to the flu, the current situation is characterized by “low noise” traffic, meaning a constant, but generally manageable, level of circulation.
According to Antoine Flahaut, professor of public health at the University of Geneva, common symptoms of infection include those of a typical upper respiratory infection: fatigue, headache, and sometimes a loss of taste or smell.
France’s fall-winter vaccination campaign, targeting the elderly and those most at risk, is scheduled to begin on October 14, 2025, and will run through the end of January 2026.
Olivier Schwartz, head of the virus and immunity unit at the Pasteur Institute, notes the virus maintains ”background circulation” year-round, unlike the flu, which is more strictly seasonal. However, he stresses that risk remains concentrated among the most fragile individuals as long as partial immunity exists within the population.
The Pasteur Institute suggests the most likely scenario is “endemicity,” with ongoing circulation and occasional small waves. While the emergence of a significantly different variant, less susceptible to existing immunity, cannot be entirely ruled out, current data indicates a limited impact on hospitalizations across Europe, as observed by the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC).
Health authorities continue to recommend vaccination and barrier gestures, especially for at-risk individuals, alongside attentive global monitoring to prevent the spread of new, concerning variants.
