Coronavirus: Highly mutated variant found in new countries but pandemic in ‘a different phase’
- The Covid-19 variant BA.2.86 has now been detected in Switzerland and South Africa in addition to Israel, Denmark, the United States and Britain, according to the WHO
- Scientists said while it was important to monitor BA.2.86, it was unlikely to cause a wave of severe disease and death given worldwide vaccination rates
The Omicron offshoot carries more than 35 mutations in key portions of the virus compared with XBB.1.5, the dominant variant through most of 2023 – a number roughly on par with the Omicron variant that caused record infections compared to its predecessor.
It was first spotted in Denmark on July 24 after the virus infecting a patient at risk of becoming severely ill was sequenced.
It has since been detected in other symptomatic patients, in routine airport screening, and in waste water samples in a handful of countries.
A dozen scientists around the world said while it was important to monitor BA.2.86, it was unlikely to cause a devastating wave of severe disease and death given immune defences built up worldwide from vaccination and prior infection.