New COVID Variant BA.2.86 found in NYC sewage: Health Dept.
The new BA.2.86 COVID-19 variant has been discovered in the sewage of New York City, according to the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.
This variant has the potential to infect vaccinated individuals.
New York City Health Commissioner Dr. Ashwin Vasan revealed that the new variant has been detected in various parts of the United States and, most recently, in New York City’s wastewater. He did not specify the exact date when the variant was found.
“While we have yet to find it in a specimen from a local resident, it is highly likely that it is circulating here,” Dr. Vasan stated in a department statement issued on Aug. 29.
Dr. Vasan also mentioned that BA.2.86 may have a greater ability to evade immunity from vaccines or previous infections compared to previous virus variants. However, there is no evidence suggesting that it causes more severe illness.
“As we enter the traditional respiratory virus season, an updated COVID-19 vaccine is expected to be available in the coming weeks,” he added, emphasizing that health authorities will continue to closely monitor the virus.
First Confirmed Case in Canada
Health officials in British Columbia, Canada, released a statement on Aug. 29 confirming the detection of the BA.2.86 variant in a local resident who has not traveled outside the province.
This marks the first known case of the BA.2.86 variant in Canada. The statement assures that the infected individual is not hospitalized, and there is no indication of increased severity associated with the new variant.
“The presence of BA.2.86 in Canada and the province was not unexpected. The risk to people in B.C. remains unchanged. COVID-19 continues to spread globally, and the virus continues to adapt,” the statement reads.
“The latest wastewater surveillance with whole genome sequencing has not detected any other instances of this virus strain so far. Data still shows that EG.5 and XBB 1.16 are the most commonly reported subvariants in B.C.,” it further explains.
BA.2.86 Has a Significant Number of Mutations
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has reported at least two cases of the BA.2.86 variant in the United States. It has also been identified in Israel, the United Kingdom, South Africa, and Denmark.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention headquarters in Atlanta on Aug. 25, 2023. (Madalina Vasiliu/The Epoch Times)
One of the BA.2.86 cases was identified through the CDC’s traveler surveillance system, and the presence of cases in multiple countries indicates international transmission.
The first case of the
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