Written By: Satata Karmakar | Updated : September 10, 2023 11:49 AM IST
The UK has recorded 34 cases of the highly mutated BA.2.86 Covid variant, while the global number of infections rose to 65. According to the UK Health Security Agency (HSA), of the 34 cases, 28 were reported from a single elderly care home in Norfolk -- an early indicator that the variant may be sufficiently transmissible to have impact in close contact settings. Further the UKHSA's latest technical briefing on SARS-CoV-2 variants revealed 5 hospitalisation and no deaths.
BA.2.86 is a subvariant of Omicron, the dominant strain of coronavirus in the world. It was first detected in India in May 2023 and has since been found in other countries, including the UK, the US, Canada, and Australia. The subvariant is thought to be a descendant of the BA.2 subvariant, which was the dominant strain of Omicron in the spring of 2023.
According to the studies, the concerning characteristic of this variant is the availability of the mutations in its spike protein. BA.2.86 has a number of mutations that make it different from 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.
"These mutations in BA.2.86 variant of COVID-19 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," experts were quoted as saying.
The best way to protect yourself from BA.2.86 is to get vaccinated and boosted. You should also wear a mask in public indoor settings and avoid close contact with people who are sick.
"While BA.2.86 is has a significant number of mutations to the viral genome compared to other currently circulating Covid variants, the data so far is too limited to draw firm conclusions about the impact this will have on the transmissibility, severity or immune escape properties of the virus," said Renu Bindra, Incident Director, UKHSA, in a statement.
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