Pirola BA.2.86: What to know about the mutated COVID variant as CDC data tracks spread

A new COVID variant is making the rounds. Its official designation is BA.2.86, but it’s colloquially known as the “Pirola” variant. One of the main reasons scientists are on alert about Pirola is that the variant has over two dozen mutations, which means it has more chances to act differently than variants that have typically had fewer mutations. Here’s what you need to know about the COVID Pirola variant.

What is COVID Pirola? It’s one of the newest variant strains of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID. Pirola is officially designated BA.2.86 and is part of the Omicron lineage of variants.
Why is Pirola more notable than other recent variants? Because it has over 30 mutations. That’s a number that Yale Medicine infectious diseases specialist Scott Roberts said was “notable,” reports Al Jazeera. “When we went from [Omicron variant] XBB.1.5 to [Eris] EG.5, that was maybe one or two mutations,” Roberts said in the Yale Medicine bulletin. “But these massive shifts, which we also saw from Delta to Omicron, are worrisome.” When a variant has a large number of mutations, those mutations represent an increased potential risk as it could mean the variant is more transmissible or more deadly. Of course, mutations could also make a variant less deadly or transmissible.
Does Pirola cause more severe illness than previous COVID variants? In an August 23 risk assessment summary on the variant, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said that Pirola “may be more capable of causing infection in people who have previously had COVID-19 or who have received COVID-19 vaccines.” However, the CDC also noted that, “At this point, there is no evidence that this variant is causing more severe illness.” More recently, two U.S. labs have found that Pirola may be less infectious than originally feared, CNN reported.
How widespread is Pirola? Though Pirola’s number of mutations has caused worry in the scientific community, Pirola itself isn’t widespread yet. It was first identified in Denmark in late July. By August the variant was found in Canada and the United States. However, according to data compiled by the CDC’s Nowcast forecast, as of the week ending September 2, Pirola isn’t yet even in the top 10 most widespread variants. COVID variant EG.5, or “Eris,” is currently the most widespread variant in America.
Will the new COVID vaccine work against Pirola? The good news is that there is a good chance the new vaccine will provide some protection. The U.S. labs found that people who had been infected with an XBB subvariant in the past six months had the most robust immune defenses against Pirola. That means the new COVID vaccine, which is designed to fight XBB.1.5, will also likely work against Pirola.
When can I get the new COVID vaccine? The exact date is unknown, but you should be able to get the new COVID booster beginning sometime between mid- and late-September.