A New COVID-19 Strain "Pirola" Spreads Worldwide

There is no need to worry: it has mutated significantly but turned out to be much weaker than its predecessors.

The BA.2.86 strain of the coronavirus, named "Pirola," is actively spreading around the world - it is a new mutation of Omicron. It first appeared in the USA in August and was later detected in Denmark, Israel, Canada, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. The World Health Organization (WHO) added it to the monitoring list in August, shortly after the new Omicron subvariant "Eris."

The organization expressed concern over the large number of mutations in this variant - and consequently, significant differences from previous versions. The variant has about 30 mutations - a similar number was noted in Omicron compared to its predecessors. In the case of Omicron, the differences manifested in a faster spread of the virus.

Scientists were worried that "Pirola" would behave similarly: the virus would spread faster and better evade immunity. However, studies conducted in recent weeks have shown that antibodies from vaccines and previous variants are not ineffective against it. Current data suggest that a new surge in cases at the level of Omicron should not occur. "Pirola" is spreading quite slowly: other Omicron variants remain dominant.

Scientists lean towards the view that the mutations in "Pirola" have made it a weaker variant compared to its predecessors. The variant will find it more challenging to spread - particularly due to its weak resistance to vaccines.