Pirola - COVID's New Variant arised - Human Immunity Pushing Back!
The new variant of Omicron known as BA.2.86 has a new mutation called JN.1, prompting several experts to urge us all to remain calm but vigilant and focused.
Recently, more than 40 new mutations already tallied, the new one called JN.1 has been found in Portugal, France, United Kingdom, and in U.S., among other nations.
New derivatives called JN.2 and JN.3 are also cropping up.
The virus is slowly evolving, says virus tracker Rajendram Rajnarayanan, PhD, from the New York Institute of Technology at Arkansas State University. And, "This is the top dog binding better though."
We won't know for a few weeks whether the new variants will be linked to a significant rise in COVID cases or how well our immune systems will respond to it.
"If we had an alert system in place, I would call this an amber alert," Rajnarayanan said. "It's not an urgent, red alert at this time, but the amber alert is definitely a wake up call to remind us it's time to pay attention again."
The corona virus is constantly mutating to survive the growing antibody pushback it encounters as human bodies learn how to fight it after vaccinations & infections.
The latest published this week in the journal Nature, a team of Doctors - David Ho, MD, from The Columbia University in New York City, and his team point out in their new lab report that the variant BA.2.86 is a concern because of the extensive array of mutations in its spike protein..
The worries are reminders of when the first Omicron appeared, they added.
Even though there are very less COVID surveillance happening these days, sequences of BA.2.86 – nicknamed Pirola by some scientists – have already been found in 28 countries around the world since August this year.
With so less cases monitoring, experts suspect there are more cases circulating than they've been able to confirm yet.
An Amber Alert
In much the same way people already rely on meteorologists to understand Earth's atmosphere & warn of severe events like upcoming hurricanes, wild fires, and big snowstorms, Rajnarayanan also says this is what we are learning to do to help people navigate infectious diseases in their communities.
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