Multiple COVID variants discovered in Ohio, including BA.2.86 and Pirola

The Ohio Department of Health has confirmed one case of the highly mutated BA.2.86 coronavirus variant in Lorain County. This variant, first detected in Denmark and Israel, contains several mutations that distinguish it from other lineages and may have a higher ability to infect individuals who have had COVID-19 or been vaccinated. However, there is currently no evidence that it causes more severe illness, hospitalizations, or deaths. Four variants of concern, including omicron XBB and omicron EG.5, were responsible for about half of all COVID-19 infections in Ohio during the two weeks ending August 12.