Concern over a new strain of the COVID-19 coronavirus, labelled BA.2.86 and unofficially dubbed Pirola, is growing after it was designated a variant under monitoring by the World Health Organization.
At the time of writing, in early September, a few dozen cases had been confirmed worldwide. But what threat might this new variant pose? We asked Prof Paul Hunter, an expert on emerging infectious diseases at the Norwich Medical School of the University of East Anglia, for the lowdown.
WHAT IS BA.2.86 AND WHY IS IT A VARIANT UNDER MONITORING?
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