The Ministry of Health has detected the variant of covid-19 Pirola (BA.2.86) in the wastewater from Catalonia, according to what EL PERIÓDICO has learned. for now, there is no presence of it in clinical samples in the territory. In wastewater it has been detected, so far, in a very low proportion (in between 1% and 1.5% of samples analyzed). This means that probably someone What has happened in Catalonia? has excreted this virus, the consequences of which are still uncertain.
This omicron sublineage is the one most worries epidemiologists because it presents up to 30 mutations, what can indicate a easier to transmit and possible immunological escape (although not necessarily greater severity).
Its about first case of Pirola in all of Spain. At the moment, sequences have been detected in very few countries: to the current one in Spain there are three cases in Denmark, two in South Africa, one in the United Kingdom and one in Israel. In addition, they have also been detected in wastewater in Switzerland.
According to sources from the ‘conselleria’, the epidemiological surveillance of Catalonia has detected, in some of the wastewater samples analysed, “variant BA.2.86 mutations”, for now in a “very low proportion” (between 1% and 1.5%) from week 32.
“Significantly different virus”
At the moment, Pirola is formally listed as a subvariant of omicron, but its many mutations suggest that it is already a “significantly different virus” the previous. That is why epidemiologists, who are still collecting information about it, do not rule out that in the next days or weeks the ‘omicron stage’ is shelved of the pandemic and BA.2.86 is classified as a different variant, majority since the end of 2021.
Since that date, new variants have been detected, but all of them are omicron lineages, such as XBB.1.5 or Eris, the most recent of all. The WHO has classified Eris as a subvariant of interest and BA.2.86, however, as variant under surveillance due to the considerable number of mutations it has in the spicule genes, which shows a more concern for the latter.
“This increase in mutations is a significant change, similar to the jump that occurred between the delta and omicron variants.”
Head of Infectious Diseases at Can Ruti
“This increase in mutations is a significant Change, similar to jump that occurred between the delta and omicron variants”, He explained days ago to EL PERIÓDICO Roger Paredes, Head of Infectious Diseases at the Germans Trias i Pujol Hospital (Can Ruti, in Badalona). The new omicron variant appeared at the end of 2021 and was much more transmittable than the previous one, the delta.
With omicron, the population (which then did not have the immunity that it does now) entered the sixth wave of covid-19 in full Christmas. Omicron caused a great wave of infections, but it turned out to be less serious than its predecessor.
“It was about time”
Paredes considers it was “matter of time” that the Pirola variant arrived in Spain or Catalonia, since since August 13, the day the first case was detected, It has already circulated in several countries. “Paint to exhaust variant. Formally it is still omicron, but in the coming weeks we will have more information and there is chances of it ceasing to be considered an omicron,” points out this infectologist.
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This It wouldn’t be more serious. but it does force, even more, epidemiological surveillance to study its transmission speed if it does indeed escape Immunity granted by vaccines. And it will possibly force the health authorities to revaccinate the population (at least to the fragile population) this fall.
This situation is not necessarily associated with more hospital admissions, but if the infections were to shoot up with them, the number of people who become seriously ill would increase. The covid-19 Pandemic, epidemiologists insist, it’s not over
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