A new variant of Covid-19, which is being watched carefully by health experts – has been detected in the UK – and is only the fifth case worldwide.
The World Health Organization and the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) on Thursday placed BA.2.86 on their watch list because it has a high number of mutations.
Its discovery has heightened fears of a new wave of Covid in the UK. Hospital admissions for the coronavirus surged last month, coinciding with vaccine efficacy results and the emergence of a new variant.
At the same time, ministers have decided that almost 12 million Britons will not be given Covid boosters this winter.
Most healthy adults under the age of 65 will not be eligible for a booster, the Joint Committee on Immunization and Immunization has advised, and the government has accepted.
Last fall, everyone over the age of 50 was invited to get vaccinated, but eligibility has been reduced this year.
As of last Saturday, there were 930 more Covid cases in the UK compared to the previous week, according to official data.
UKHSA Deputy Director Dr Meera Chand said: “We are aware that PA.2.86 has been detected in the UK. UKHSA is assessing the situation and will provide further information in due course.
Earlier this week, scientists from the independent Sage group warned that it was “reasonably certain” that the UK was already in another wave of Covid-19 – and recommended that people should wear face masks again.
So far, three cases of the new BA.X strain, also known as BA.2.86, have been detected in Denmark and Israel, followed by a fourth in the US in Michigan.
The strain has more than 30 mutations in its spike protein — more than any other circulating variant, prompting the WHO to quickly scale it up.
Cases have rebounded after a record low earlier last month.
(gov.uk)
Luke Blackton Snell, a clinical researcher at King’s College London, said a patient in Guy’s and St Thomas in the capital had first symptoms five days ago and had acquired the infection “locally”.
Christian G Andersen, an immunologist and infectious disease specialist, said the strain had all the signs of a pick-up, but added: “Our immune landscape is complex right now, so it’s too early to tell.”
Clinical director of diagnostic microbiology at Houston Methodist, a leading Texas hospital, S. Wesley Long said it remains to be seen whether BA.2.86 can cope with other strains of the virus or whether there is any benefit to avoiding immunity from previous infection. Or the vaccine..
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which has been monitoring the variation, wrote: “While learning more about PA.2.86, the CDC’s advice on how to protect yourself from Covid-19 remains the same.”
Symptoms of the new variant include runny nose, headache, fatigue, sneezing and sore throat.
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