BA.2.86: The New COVID-19 Variant to Watch

The World Health Organization (WHO) has designated the BA.2.86 COVID-19 variant as a "variant under monitoring." This means that the variant has a number of mutations that could make it more transmissible or evade the body's immune response.

BA.2.86 is a subvariant of the BA.2 Omicron variant, which was the dominant COVID-19 variant in many parts of the world earlier this year. BA.2.86 has been detected in a number of countries, including the United States, Denmark, Israel, and the United Kingdom.

The WHO said that it is monitoring BA.2.86 closely and will update its risk assessment as more data becomes available. However, the agency stressed that there is no evidence that BA.2.86 is more severe than other COVID-19 variants.

Symptoms of BA.2.86 are similar to those of other COVID-19 variants, including fever, cough, sore throat, fatigue, runny nose, and change in taste and smell.

Public health officials recommend that people get vaccinated and boosted against COVID-19, wear a mask in indoor public settings, and stay up-to-date on the latest public health guidance.

Here are some additional things to know about BA.2.86:

• It has more than 30 mutations on its spike protein, compared to the original Omicron variant.

• Some of these mutations are located in the same areas as mutations that have been linked to increased transmissibility and immune evasion.

• However, it is still too early to say whether BA.2.86 is more transmissible or severe than other COVID-19 variants.

• The WHO is monitoring BA.2.86 closely and will update its risk assessment as more data becomes available.

In the meantime, public health officials recommend that people get vaccinated and boosted against COVID-19, wear a mask in indoor public settings, and stay up-to-date on the latest public health guidance.