The BA.2.86 strain was first reported on July 24 and was classified as a ‘variant under monitoring’ on August 17.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has turned its vigilant eye to a new Covid-19 variant, tagged as BA.2.86. This variant is a subvariant of the Omicron variant of Sars COV-2 and has been found in a handful of countries, including Israel, Denmark, and the United States.
BA.2.86 has a number of mutations that are not found in other Omicron subvariants. These mutations could make it more transmissible or evade the body’s immune response. However, more research is needed to understand the full implications of these mutations.
The WHO has classified BA.2.86 as a “variant under monitoring.” This means that the WHO is watching the variant closely and will upgrade its classification if there is evidence that it is more transmissible or severe than other Omicron subvariants.
The BA.2.86 strain was first reported on July 24 and was classified as a ‘variant under monitoring’ on August 17.
The US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) took to social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter to confirm about the variant.
“CDC is tracking a new lineage of the virus that causes COVID-19. This lineage is named BA.2.86, and has been detected in the United States, Denmark and Israel. CDC is gathering more information and will share more about this lineage as we learn it,” it said in a post.
Meanwhile, Director-General of WHO Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus on Friday said though COVID-19 is no longer a health emergency for the world, it is still a ‘global health threat’ and a new variant of coronavirus is already under the scanner.
“Although COVID-19 is no longer a global health emergency, it remains a global health threat. WHO has recently classified a new variant with a large number of mutations. BA.2.86 variant is under monitoring at present, highlighting once again the need for all countries to maintain surveillance,” he said.
According to a Reuters report, Dr S. Wesley Long, medical director of diagnostic microbiology at Houston Methodist, said the new variant comes with 36 mutations and “harkens back to an earlier branch” of the virus.
“My biggest concern would be that it could cause a bigger spike in cases than what we have seen in recent waves,” Dr Long was quoted as saying. “The boosters will still help you fight off Covid in general.”