COVID-19 variant ‘Pirola’: A COVID-19 variant is now spreading across different countries–BA.2.86, nicknamed as Pirola. Last week, the Pirola variant was added to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) watch list after its addition to the WHO’ SARS-CoV-2 variant monitoring list.
According to local media reports, CDC has reported only seven confirmed cases of Pirola variant as of August 19. However, the COVID-19 variant has been detected in several countries on multiple continents, including the United States, Denmark, Israel and the U.K.
Moreover, the U.K. Health Security Agency (HSA) said that the variant had been identified in England, and that it was “assessing the situation.”
What is COVID-19 variant, Pirola?
Pirola is a nickname given to BA.2.86, a new lineage of virus that causes COVID-19. This means Pirola is one of the 1,680 omicron lineages. Reportedly, several omicron lineages are still circulating across the world, but BA.2.86 is a descendant of Omicron BA.2, which is not currently in circulation.
According to experts, Pirola has 30 spike protein mutations that differ from XBB.1.5. Consequently, it is more immune-evasive built up by your body. According to media reports, unlike most circulating variants, which have evolved from Omicron spawn XBB, experts believe that BA.2.86 might have evolved from a much earlier strain of Omicron—BA.2, which circulated in early 2022.
There is also a possibility that it may have evolved from the original Omicron, B.1.1.529, which spiked cases to record highs in late 2021 and early 2022.
What are the symptoms of the COVID-19 variant Pirola?
The symptoms of the COVID-19 variant Pirola include:
- Runny or stuffy nose
- Headache
- Fatigue
- Sneezing
- Sore throat
- Coughing
- Changes to sense of smell
Are the current vaccines effective against COVID-19 variant Pirola?
According to a paper published in the BMJ Journal, the genetic diversity suggests that BA.2.86 has been in circulation for months.
An early analysis by Jesse Bloom, a computational virologist at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Institute in Seattle, USA reveals that BA.2.86 has “at least as much” antibody escape as XBB.1.5 did when compared with BA.2, meriting high priority monitoring for signs of spread.
Meanwhile, Kristian Andersen, an immunologist at the Scripps Research Institute in the US took to X, erstwhile Twitter, and said: “The mutations give BA.2.86 “all the hallmark features of something that could take off.”
Bloom wrote, as quoted in the paper, “While neutralising antibodies (which are partially escaped by highly mutated variants like BA.2.86) provide best protection against infection, there are also broader mechanisms of immunity elicited by vaccination and infection that provide some protection against severe disease even for very heavily mutated variants. So even if [it] starts to spread, we will be in a better place than we were in 2020 and 2021, since most people have some immunity to SARS-CoV-2 now.”
Balloux added that, “unlike EG.5, the BA.2.86 subvariant is much more warranting of attention.”
How to treat and stop the spread of the COVID-19 variant Pirola?
The CDC suggests the following ways to treat the symptoms and stop the spread:
- Stay home and separate from others.
- Improve ventilation in your home.
- Mask with an N-95 or other high-quality mask when around other people.
- Keep up to date on COVID vaccines and boosters.
- Monitor symptoms and stay in touch with your healthcare provider.
- Take medications and treatments as prescribed.
- Rest and use over-the-counter medications to manage symptoms like headache.
- Practice hygiene such as washing hands often and cleaning shared surfaces.
- Use their testing and treatment location tool to find resources in your area.
