2023-08-18 02:35:00
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced that it is tracking a new variant of the COVID-19 BA.2.86 virus.
According to Archyde.com on the 17th (local time), the CDC announced on its official X (Twitter) account that day that the variant was found in the United States, Denmark and Israel.
“As soon as we learn more about this strain, we will share information,” he added.
Evolutionary biologist Jessie Bloom of the Fred Hutch Cancer Center told CBS News, “The BA.2.86 mutation has equal or higher immune evasion capabilities than XBB.1.5 against antibodies generated by pre-Omicron and first-generation Omicrons.” said.
Currently, the EG.5 mutation of the XBB series is in vogue in the United States. Accordingly, pharmaceutical companies plan to supply targeted vaccines targeting XBB, but if the BA.2.86 mutation spreads rapidly, the vaccine may not be effective, Bloom added.
However, Bloom said cases of BA.2.86 infection are still rare, so it is not a stage to worry about.
The WHO also classified BA.2.86 as a ‘mutation of interest’, saying that four cases were detected worldwide. However, it is too early to judge whether it is more dangerous than other strains of Omicron descendants currently prevalent.
(Seoul = News 1)
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