Covid-19: First US Case Of Pirola Variant With 30 Mutations Confirmed

The first case of the newly identified COVID-19 variant with 30 mutations has been identified in the United States.

The first case of the newly identified COVID variant with 30 mutations has been identified in the United States.
Photo Credit: *now.ny.gov*

08/22/2023 8:05 a.m.

The World Health Organization (WHO) upgraded BA.2.86 to a “variant under monitoring," citing the "large number of mutations it carries."

BA.2.86, which has now been nicknamed "Pirola," was first detected in Israel, and cases have also been identified in the United Kingdom and Denmark.

The initial case in the US has been detected in Michigan.

The patient, an older person with mild symptoms, is from Washtenaw County, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services announced. Ann Arbor is the county's largest city.

Earlier report - COVID-19: New BA.2.86 Variant With 30 Mutations Leads To Rapid Reaction From CDC, WHO

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said it's also tracking the new strain.

The WHO says a "variant under monitoring" has genetic changes that could affect characteristics like transmissibility but that "limited evidence makes its impact unclear."

Currently, a new Omicron subvariant known as Eris, whose official name is EG.5, is accounting for most COVID cases nationwide, just ahead of the XBB.1.16 strain known as Arcturus, according to estimates by the CDC.

Arcturus is also an offshoot of the highly-contagious Omicron strain.

Check back to Daily Voice for updates.

Related story - COVID-19: Here Are Symptoms For New Eris Subvariant Now Making Up Most US Cases

Click here to follow Daily Voice Hartford and receive free news updates.