WHO Monitoring Highly Mutated New Strain of COVID-19, Now Spotted in Michigan

A new COVID variant with very few known cases but many mutations has been swiftly moved into the World Health Organization's "variant under monitoring" classification.

More data is needed to understand whether or not the variant will be dangerous with its many mutations, WHO said. BA.2.86 includes dozens of genetic changes,reported. That's similar to the differences observed when the original omicron variant emerged in 2021. Some of the mutations are in parts of the virus that could help it evade immunity provided by prior vaccination or infection.

"[T]here are also broader mechanisms of immunity elicited by vaccination and infection that provide some protection against severe disease even for very heavily mutated variants," Bloom noted in an email todescended from the XBB omicron variant that now predominate. If it fails to do so it may not pose any threat, experts believe.

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