New super-mutant COVID strain emerges: Is this the next global threat?

In a spine-chilling revelation that may alter the trajectory of the global pandemic, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced their surveillance of a highly mutated new COVID-19 strain dubbed BA.2.86. This menacing new lineage has already marked its presence in countries including the United States, Israel, and Denmark. The alert about this potential threat was unleashed on the recently renamed social media platform, X (previously known as Twitter).

Echoing the CDC’s vigilance, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared BA.2.86 a “variant under monitoring” on X, raising alarm bells due to its staggering number of mutations. Only a few sequences of this worrisome variant have been reported, but the global health agencies are taking no chances.

Dr. S. Wesley Long, renowned medical director of diagnostic microbiology at Houston Methodist, described this variant as hailing from an “earlier branch” of the virus, distinguishing it with its 36 mutations from the current dominant strain, XBB.1.5. The pertinent question is: Does BA.2.86 possess the sinister potential to overshadow other strains or dodge the immune responses fortified by previous infections or vaccinations?

CDC Monitors New COVID-19 Variant BA.2.86 Detected in Multiple Countries. Image courtesy of Lothar Dieterich from Pixabay.

Early analyses by esteemed virologist Jesse Bloom suggest that BA.2.86 might exhibit “equal or greater escape” capabilities than the XBB.1.5 variant when confronted with antibodies from pre-Omicron and initial Omicron strains. Given the relevance, it’s worth noting that the Omicron subvariant XBB.1.5 is currently in the crosshairs for upcoming Covid booster shots.

While Bloom’s data leans toward BA.2.86 being less transmissible than the prevailing dominant variants, he asserts the need for additional sequencing data to confirm this. On the other hand, Dr. Long voiced concerns about a potential significant surge in cases triggered by this new variant. But on a reassuring note, he emphasized, “The boosters will still help you fight off COVID in general.”