EYECARE: Coronavirus BRIEFING: Crisis Response Tactics What to Know About the New BA 2.86 COVID Variant By Staff Tuesday, September 5, 2023 8:05 AM The CDC and the World Health Organization have dubbed the BA 2.86 variant of COVID-19 as a variant to watch. So far, only 26 cases of "Pirola," as the new variant is being called, have been identified: 10 in Denmark, four each in Sweden and the United States, three in South Africa, two in Portugal, and one each the United Kingdom, Israel, and Canada. BA 2.86 is a subvariant of Omicron, but according to reports from the CDC, the strain has many more mutations than the ones that came before it. With so many facts still unknown about this new variant, we asked experts what people need to be aware of as it continues to spread. Head over to Medscape to read the full story.