Pirola or BA.2.86 Covid variant: Experts reveal symptoms of new strain as cases surge
LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM: A new variant of Covid has been keeping health authorities busy since it was unfurled in the UK and has since then spread to other parts of the globe, including reported cases in the US, Denmark, South Africa, and Israel.
BA.2.86 or Pirola "is roughly of the same magnitude" as the Omicron and Delta variants, stated the Daily Mail, citing the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Even though some symptoms of the new variant have been discussed by experts, they're still unsure about how widespread the strain might get.
Symptoms of previously discovered BA.2 Covid variant
As per a 2022 study released via the journal Nature, the symptoms of BA.2.86's predecessor BA.2 were "influenza-like and cold-like." The research also stated, "A larger proportion of people with BA.2 reported that their symptoms had affected their ability to carry out day-to-day activities 'a lot’."
Besides, Professor Lawrence Young, a virologist at Warwick University, said, "A combination of changes in the virus and immunity induced by previous infection and vaccination has altered the symptoms associated with Covid over the last three years," to Daily Mail.
"It’s much more like a cold now than when we first experienced Covid. That doesn’t mean that those who are more vulnerable due to underlying conditions won’t suffer more severe symptoms if infected with BA.2.86," noted Young.
Nancy Crum, MD, an infectious disease specialist at Avita Health System in Ohio, also commented on Pirola’s ancestor BA.2, claiming that people suffering from the strain show signs of headaches, nausea, or vomiting.
BA.2 variant can make people extremely tired
Professor David Strain, a senior clinical lecturer at the University of Exeter Medical School said that the feeling of fatigue is another symptom of the BA.2 variant.
"Non-restorative sleep—basically, they would be waking up and feeling exhausted as if they hadn't rested as if they hadn't slept at all," stated Strain, adding that fever, sore throat, and persistent cough are reportedly the main symptoms.
Does Pirola or BA.2.86 pose more danger than earlier variants?
"Very recent work suggests that this variant is likely to be more able to evade the immune response," said Young about the Pirola or BA.2.86 Covid variant.
"However, BA.2.86 appears to be less infectious than previous variants, which is some good news. We just need to keep a close watch over the coming weeks as children return to school and people get back to work after the summer break," added the Professor.
Do vaccines work for the Pirola or BA.2.86 Covid variant?
"While it is difficult to predict the combined effect of a large number of mutations on severity, vaccine escape, and transmissibility, expert advice is clear that this represents the most concerning new variant since Omicron first emerged," said Steve Russell about whether the Covid vaccines work for the Pirola or BA.2.86 variant.
The Chief Delivery Officer and National Director for Vaccinations and Screening at NHS England added, "The UK Health Security Agency has determined the most appropriate intervention with the greatest potential public health impact is to vaccinate all those eligible, quickly," according to Daily Mail.