Canada and Sweden report the first infection with COVID-19 BA.2.86

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Canada and Sweden report the first infection with COVID-19 BA.2.86

Canada and Sweden report the first infection with COVID-19 BA.2.86.

Tracking the BA.2.86 Variant of COVID-19: Reported in Two More Countries, Bringing the Total to 8 Countries with at Least 24 Cases.

The highly mutated BA.2.86 variant of COVID-19, with 35 mutations compared to the XBB.1.5 variant that has been prevalent this year, has now been reported in two additional countries, bringing the global tally to at least 24 cases across 8 countries.

Canada and Sweden report the first infection with COVID-19 BA.2.86

Canadian health officials in British Columbia announced the country’s first case of infection with the Omicron variant’s highly mutated strain, BA.2.86, on August 29th. This case had no recent travel history outside of British Columbia. Sweden also reported four cases on Tuesday. This represents a doubling of cases globally in just one week.

According to Canadian health officials, the British Columbia case did not require hospitalization, and the detection of BA.2.86 does not alter the risk faced by the province’s population. The appearance of BA.2.86 cases in British Columbia was not unexpected by health authorities, as the virus continues to spread globally, adapting along the way.

Swedish health officials reported four cases on Tuesday. The first case was identified on August 7th in Stockholm, while the second and third cases were detected on August 18th and 19th in Vasternorrland province in northern Sweden. Details of the fourth case have not yet been disclosed.

Denmark reported its first case of BA.2.86 infection last month, becoming the first country globally to identify a case. BA.2.86 has over 35 mutations compared to the XBB.1.5 variant that has predominated for much of this year. Subsequently, the United States, Israel, the United Kingdom, South Africa, and Portugal have also reported their first cases of BA.2.86 infection. With the addition of Sweden and Canada, at least 8 countries have now reported their first cases of BA.2.86, with a total of 24 cases confirmed.

Thailand, Switzerland, and the United States have also detected BA.2.86 in wastewater samples. The COVID-19 virus can enter wastewater systems through the feces of infected individuals. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the United States warned last week that BA.2.86 may have an increased ability to infect individuals who have previously had COVID-19 or have been vaccinated.