2023-09-01 07:25:05
September 01, 2023
A first case of the BA.2.86 variant – nicknamed Pirola – has been detected in eastern France. Placed under surveillance by the WHO, what do we currently know about this Omicron mutation? Should we be worried about it?
According to information revealed by Le Parisien, the new BA.2.86 variant, also called “Pirola”, was detected for the first time on French soil. More precisely in the Aube, in the East of France.
So what do we know about this variant so far? Already present in fifteen countries, it was initially reported in a sample taken in Denmark at the end of July 2023. It has since been detected in Israel, the United States and even the United Kingdom… And now in France.
Lots of unknowns
Pirola seems to be distinguished by the thirty mutations it carries compared to other circulating strains. ” This genetic jump is about the same magnitude as that observed between the initial Omicron variant and the Delta variant “, explain to the United States the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).
Although for now, it is too early to know if this variant could cause more severe disease than the previous ones “. The CDC believes that it ” may be more capable of causing new infections in previously infected or vaccinated people. »
Finally, for the moment, the existing tests used to detect Covid-19 seem to be effective against this variant.
To note : On the antenna of France Info, the minister in charge of Health, Aurélien Rousseau, declared this morning that the current situation does not call for any particular health response. »
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