US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced on August 17 that they are tracking a newly identified lineage of the COVID-19 virus.
This lineage has been designated as BA.2.86 and has been identified in the United States, Denmark, and Israel. The CDC emphasised that while they continue to gather information about the BA.2.86 lineage, their guidance for protecting oneself from COVID-19 remains unchanged. The CDC shared this information through a post on the messaging platform X.
Earlier on the same day, the World Health Organization (WHO) also discussed BA.2.86 in a post on X, classifying it as a “variant under monitoring” due to its numerous mutations it carries. WHO reported that only a few sequences of this variant have been identified in a limited number of countries so far.
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The World Health Organization also stated that they are currently monitoring three variants of interest and seven variants under monitoring. WHO further emphasised the ongoing need for improved surveillance, sequencing, and reporting of COVID-19, as the virus continues to circulate and undergo changes.