The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has announced that it is monitoring a new highly mutated lineage of the virus responsible for Covid-19. Named BA.2.86, this variant has been detected in the United States, Denmark, and Israel. The World Health Organization (WHO) also classified BA.2.86 as a “variant under monitoring” due to its significant number of mutations.
BA.2.86 carries 36 mutations in comparison to the currently dominant XXB.1.5 Covid variant. However, experts are still investigating whether this new variant will out-compete other strains of the virus or possess any advantage in evading immune responses from prior infection or vaccination.
Early analysis suggests that the new variant may have similar or greater potential to escape antibodies compared to the XXB.1.5 variant, which is targeted by upcoming Covid booster shots. However, there is a possibility that BA.2.86 might be less transmissible than current dominant variants and therefore not spread widely.
While the emergence of new variants raises concerns about potential spikes in Covid-19 cases, experts have indicated that the existing booster shots should still be effective in providing protection against the virus. The situation calls for continuous monitoring and study of BA.2.86 to better understand its behavior and potential implications.
