COVID Variant BA.2.86 Spreads to Multiple States, Experts Concerned

The COVID variant BA.2.86, which has a high number of mutations, has been detected in five states in the United States: Texas, Ohio, Michigan, New York, and Virginia. This variant was first identified in Denmark and has since been reported in several countries. Experts believe it may be contributing to the increase in COVID hospitalizations. The CDC's advisory committee is set to discuss new boosters targeting COVID subvariants, which are expected to become available in mid- to late-September. While it's unclear how well the new boosters will protect against BA.2.86, the current vaccine is designed to target a related variant, providing decent protection against severe disease and hospitalization. Wastewater sampling is being used as an early detection tool for monitoring the variant's spread.