August 31, 2023 – The CDC and World Health Organization have classified the BA 2.86 variant of COVID-19 as a variant to observe.
So far, only 26 cases of “Pirola”, as the brand new variant is named, have been reported. were identified: 10 in Denmark, 4 each in Sweden and the United States, three in South Africa, two in Portugal and one each within the United Kingdom, Israel and Canada. BA 2.86 is a sub-variant of Omikron, but based on reports from the CDCThe strain has many more mutations than its predecessors.
Since many facts are still unknown about this latest variant, we asked experts what people should be careful for because it continues to spread.
What is special in regards to the BA 2.86 variant?
“It's unique in that it has more than three mutations in the spike protein,” said Dr. Purvi Parikh, an infectious disease expert at New York University's Langone Health. The virus uses the spike proteins to enter our cells.
This “could mean that the variant is more contagious, causes more severe disease and/or that our vaccines and treatments may not work as well compared to other variants,” she said.
What do we want to listen to in the longer term with BA 2.86?
“We don't know if this variant will be associated with a change in disease severity. We are seeing an increased number of cases in general right now, even though we don't see BA.2.86 in our system yet,” said Heba Mostafa, PhD, director of the Laboratory of Molecular Virology at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore.
“It is important to monitor BA.2.86 (and other variants) and understand how its evolution affects the number of cases and disease progression,” she said. “However, we should all be aware of the current increase in cases and try to get tested and treated as soon as possible, as antivirals should be effective against the circulating variants.”
What should doctors know?
Parikh said doctors should generally expect more COVID cases of their practices and watch out to look at patients even when their symptoms are mild.
“We have tools we can use – antivirals like paxlovid are still effective against the currently prevalent strains like EG.5,” she said. “And encourage your patients to get their booster shots, wear masks, wash their hands and maintain social distancing.”
How well can our vaccines fight BA 2.86?
“Vaccination coverage for BA.2.86 is currently an area of uncertainty,” Mostafa said.
In its report, the CDC says scientists are still determining how well the updated COVID vaccine works. It needs to be available in the autumn, and for now they expect the brand new shot to mitigate infections despite latest variants.
Previous vaccinations and infections have produced antibodies in lots of those who likely provide some protection, Mostafa said. “When we saw the omicron wave in December 2021, the vaccinations still protected against severe disease, even though the variant was far from the one circulating before it emerged and was accompanied by a very sharp increase in case numbers.”
What needs to be taken under consideration with this variant?
According to Parikh, “it is extremely important to monitor how transmissible [BA 2.86] is, how severe it is and whether our current treatments and vaccines work.”
Mostafa said it also must be closely studied and monitored how well the brand new variants evade existing antibody protection.
What does this stage of virus mutation tell us about where we're within the pandemic?
The history of the coronavirus lately shows that variants with many changes can develop and spread in a short time, said Mostafa. “Now that the virus is endemic, it is important to monitor the infection, refresh vaccinations when necessary, diagnose, treat and implement infection control measures when necessary.”
Given the limited data we've up to now, experts appear to agree that while the variant's composition raises some warning signals, it is simply too early to leap to conclusions about how easily it's transmitted and what impact the variant may need on those infected.