The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced Thursday its surveillance of a newly identified lineage of the COVID-19 virus named BA.2.86. This lineage has already been identified in the U.S., Denmark, and Israel, according to a CDC update shared on messaging platform X.
Despite the emerging information about BA.2.86, the CDC maintains its current guidance on COVID-19 prevention measures.
Earlier the same day, the World Health Organization (WHO) categorized BA.2.86 as a “variant under monitoring” due to its extensive mutation count. As of now, only several sequences of this variant have been identified in a limited number of countries.
Dr. S. Wesley Long from Houston Methodist described this lineage, which possesses 36 mutations differing from the prevalent XXB.1.5 COVID variant, as a reflection of an earlier virus strain. It’s yet uncertain if BA.2.86 presents any superiority in terms of transmission or evading immunity derived from previous infections or vaccinations.
Preliminary findings suggest that BA.2.86 might demonstrate comparable or heightened resistance to antibodies developed against pre-Omicron and initial Omicron variants than the XXB.1.5, noted Jesse Bloom from the Fred Hutch Cancer Center. The forthcoming COVID booster shots are designed to address the Omicron subvariant XXB.1.5.
However, Bloom’s assessment also hints at the possibility that BA.2.86 may not be as transmissible as prevailing variants and may not achieve widespread transmission. Yet, extensive sequencing data remains to be collected.
Dr. Long expressed apprehension about the potential for BA.2.86 to trigger a larger surge in cases compared to recent outbreaks but emphasized the continuing efficacy of boosters against COVID-19.
