Pirola and Eris Covid Variants: What Are the Symptoms and Risks?

It may feel like pandemic déjà vu: New Covid-19 variants are afoot, and hospitalizations are again on the rise. One called Eris became the most prevalent in July, followed by another dubbed Pirola, which has been detected in 11 countries including the US and UK as of Sept. 6. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization are closely monitoring the situation. For now, experts aren’t too concerned, though the UK is starting its fall Covid vaccination 2023 booster a month early due to the increased risk.

The strain, officially BA.2.86, was first spotted by virus trackers in mid-August. Not much is known yet about how it stacks up against other variants. It appears to be a descendant of the BA.2 variant, which was the dominant Omicron lineage in early 2022. But the new lineage has more than 30 mutations on its spike protein, which helps the virus latch onto cells and cause infection. That could make it better at evading immunity from vaccines and past infections.

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