Can The Highly Mutated COVID Variant Pirola or BA.2.86 Cause The Fourth Wave?

Scientists across the world have been expressing their concern about the newly detected COVID variant BA.2.86. Nicknamed Pirola, the BA.2.86 variant is highly mutated and is posing a threat to pre-existing immunity against coronavirus, that has been afforded by vaccines and a prior COVID-19 infection. 

The first confirmed case of Pirola was documented on 24 July 2023 in Denmark. Since then, Centres For Disease Control And Prevention (CDC) has been keeping a watchful eye on Pirola, releasing a risk assessment summary that informed, ‘Pirola has at least 35 new mutations that set it apart from previously known prevalent COVID variants. Currently, the UK along with the US, and China is witnessing a rise in coronavirus cases. Most of these new cases are being triggered by the Pirola variant. CDC is closely monitoring hospitalisation rates to identify any potential early signals that the BA.2.86 variant is causing more severe illness.’

Can Pirola Start The Fourth Wave?

Whether the new COVID variant can cause a fourth wave of COVID-19 is being debated within the medical community. Yesterday, the UK’s National Health Service warned people living in Britain to keep a watchful eye on the Priola variant as its cases have been increasing worldwide.

This advisory was released following the first case of Pirola detected on August 16 in the UK.

So far cases of the Pirola variant have also emerged in the US, China, Israel, Denmark, Canada, Switzerland, and South Africa. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has also labelled Pirola a ‘variant under monitoring,’ as it has more than 35 mutations, which is a huge number of modifications if you consider the previous variants of coronavirus. 

Also Read: ICMR Shows That 6.5% Covid Patients Died Within A Year Of Discharge: Study

Interestingly, BA.2.86 has not displayed any severe manifestations in those it has infected, nor has it provided a reason for experts to consider it highly transmissible. Yet the talk of Pirola leading a fourth wave is rampant as it has even more mutations than Omicron has from the Delta variant of coronavirus. 

As Omicron led the third wave because it broke through the immunity gained by the masses after being infected by the Delta variant, similar concerns are posed by Pirola.

Should You Be Concerned About Pirola?

It has long been established that all viruses change and mutate over time and adapt to the defence mechanisms erected against them. The rapid evolution of SARS-CoV-2 is nothing new. 

The multiple genetic differences that BA.2.86 possesses from previous versions of SARS-CoV-2 could however allow it to break through the immunity you had achieved after COVID-19 vaccines and prior infection.

BA.2.86 is characterised by a fever in the infected persons, resembling a common cold or a flu-like disease. Other symptoms include coughing, fatigue, head and body aches, a loss of appetite, breathing difficulties, and notably, conjunctivitis, rashes, and also diarrhoea.

Experts suggest that currently there is no need for the masses to live in fear of this new variant. The CDC has informed that if Pirola continues to spread and predictions of a fourth wave come true, vaccines against this specific strain will be available by mid-September at your local pharmacy or doctor’s office. Additionally, the health watchdog claimed that currently available treatments for COVID-19 will be effective against this variant. 

Also Read: COVID Vaccine Only 4% Effective Against Continuous Exposure to SARS-CoV-2: Study

The CDC claims that currently there is not enough information available to confirm that BA.2.86 is deadly or dangerously infectious. However, the detection of Pirola across multiple continents suggests some degree of transmissibility. This variant has also been detected in wastewater samples in the US, triggering widespread monitoring of wastewater to detect the presence of Pirola.

But what has been established already is that BA.2.86 spreads in the same way as the previous COVID-19 variants. So you can practice the following methods to protect yourself:

• Complete your course of COVID-19 vaccines.
• Stay home if you feel sick.
• Get tested for COVID-19 if needed.
• Seek treatment if you have COVID-19 and are at high risk of getting very sick.
• Wear a high-quality mask that fits well over your nose and mouth, whenever you step out of the house.
• Improve ventilation to disallow coronavirus to settle in indoor spaces
• Practice good hygiene. Wash your hands well, keep a sanitiser with you at all times, and avoid touching your face.
• Practice social distancing and avoid extremely crowded places. 

The CDC said that virus samples are not yet broadly available for more reliable laboratory testing of antibodies. So recommending the real-world impact of BA.2.86 would be premature. Nearly the entire world now has antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 from vaccination, previous infection, or both, hence it is unlikely that the new Pirola variant could wreak as much havoc as Delta or Omicron. The scientific and pharmaceutical community is also much better equipped to handle widespread and rapidly evolving COVID variants. Therefore, even if Pirola starts a fourth wave, the possibility for it to be as devastating as the first three waves is an unlikely scenario.