 A new strain of Covid which is causing concern among scientists due to its high number of mutations has been found in a patient in the UK. The variant, named Pirola, was already detected in a number of countries before arriving here, with experts worried that it could have the capacity to evade immunity from vaccinations or previous infections. 'We are aware that BA.2.86 has been detected in the UK,' said UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA)'s deputy director Meera Chand. 'UKHSA is assessing the situation and will provide further information in due course. What is Pirola, does it cause more severe illness and will the vaccine hold up against it? What is the Pirola Covid strain? Also known as BA.2.86, Pirola – which has been named by scientists after 'an asteroid that hangs out near Jupiter' – is a subvariant of the Omicron strain which descends from the BA.2 variant, which led to widespread cases at the start of 2022. It's said to have over 30 mutations to its spike protein – the part of the virus whichallows it to invade human cells – which has raised fears that it could evade current treatments and vaccines, as well as natural immunity to infection from a previous bout of Covid. 'BA.2.86 is the most striking SARS-CoV-2 strain the world has witnessed since the emergence of omicron,' said Francois Balloux, professor of computational systems biology and director of University College London's Genetics Institute. Pirola has already been detected in a number of countries (Picture: metro.co.uk) Writing in the BMJ he said: 'Interestingly, all 30-plus mutations on that long branch are found in the spike protein—through which the virus gains entry to cells—which is the target of neutralising antibodies.' The variant was first detected in Denmark on July 24, with nine cases so far being confirmed around the world, in Israel, South Africa and the UK, as well as being found in wastewater i){kind=link}
NEWS… BUT NOT AS YOU KNOW IT
A new strain of Covid which is causing concern among scientists due to its high number of mutations has been found in a patient in the UK.
The variant, named Pirola, was already detected in a number of countries before arriving here, with experts worried that it could have the capacity to evade immunity from vaccinations or previous infections.
‘We are aware that BA.2.86 has been detected in the UK,’ said UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA)’s deputy director Meera Chand.
‘UKHSA is assessing the situation and will provide further information in due course.