BA.2.86 or "Pirola" is beginning to dominate all U.S. COVID-19 infections. It is still unknown if the variant will lead to severe illness, yet further mutations, if enough people are infected, cannot be ruled out. Will people mask up to limit its spread? (uptate 1)

14/09/20123:   U.S. hospitalizations have tripled in the last month, and deaths are at 2023 highs.  Boosters have been fast tracked, with the CDC advising that ALL Americans get the booster shot prior to winter.

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 BA.2.86 and now titled Pirola, which has been named after the unusual asteroid, which is part of the 'family' of carbonaceous asteroids that line the outer asteroid belts.  The naming of the new 'omicron' variant, despite its hyperreal connotations, seems fitting, for a mutated COVID virus that appears to be evolving to evade human immunity.  Reporting is scant and scientists are still compiling data on its severity, yet there are concerns this variant could mutate again if it infects enough people.  

With the U.S. population at 90% immunity of most COVID variants, apart from the now dominate BA.2.86 Pirola variant (with hopes that prior antibodies will offset any severe illness), the high rate of transmission is the main worry, as the race is on to develop newer boosters that will counter Pirola and possible mutations thereafter.   

Chart above shows U.S. and Europe hospitalizations on the rise, as the Northern Hemisphere begins to enter the colder months of 2023.

Below clip is Dr. Fauci recommending that masks be used to limit the spread of the newer variants, more so Pirola.   Sans, the extreme right wing, conspiracy theory morons backwards rhetoric.  I caught XBB when all the mask mandates, testing and lockdowns ended in 2022.