The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has claimed the new BA.2.86 COVID-19 variant may cause infection in people who are vaccinated.
The CDC notes that it is too early to confirm whether the new COVID variant would cause severe illness in both vaccinated or unvaccinated compared with previous variants.
However, due to the high number of mutations detected, the health body said there was concern about the impact on immunity from vaccines.
“The large number of mutations in this variant raises concerns of greater escape from existing immunity from vaccines and previous infections compared with other recent variants,” the CDC stated in its assessment.
“For example, one analysis of mutations suggests the difference may be as large as or greater than that between BA.2 and XBB.1.5, which circulated nearly a year apart.”
It adds that “virus samples are not yet broadly available for more reliable laboratory testing of antibodies, and it is too soon to know the real-world impacts on immunity.”
As The Epoch Times reported, the agency detected at least two cases with the BA.2.86 variant in the United States, although few other details were provided. It was also found in Israel, the United Kingdom, South Africa, and Denmark, the agency said.
One of the BA.2.86 cases was found in a person detected via the CDC’s traveler surveillance system, while it added that cases being found in several countries are evidence of international transmission.
“Notably, the amount of genomic sequencing of SARS-CoV-2 globally has declined substantially from previous years, meaning more variants may emerge and spread undetected for longer periods of time,” according to the assessment.
“It is also important to note that the current increase in hospitalizations in the United States is not likely driven by the BA.2.86 variant. This assessment may change as additional data become available.”
The CDC also said that most of the U.S. population has COVID-19 antibodies, vaccination, or both, and antibodies will likely provide some protection against the variant.
A top World Health Organization (WHO) official designated the BA.2.86 as a “variant under monitoring.”
The news comes just days after colleges and offices began reinstating contact tracing and COVID mask mandates, according to a report from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Morris Brown College in Atlanta reinstated the measures as part of a “precautionary step” despite no new reported cases.
The report noted that staff and students will be asked to wear masks while on campus.
According to a communication issued by the college, there have been “reports of positive cases among students in the Atlanta University Center,” a consortium of black colleges and universities located on the western side of Atlanta.
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