Health experts warn the BA.2.86 variant has 34 mutations, meaning it could evade the protection offered by vaccines. According to the tracker GISAID, the Pirola strain has been detected in 15 countries.
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The latest mutation of Covid-19 is causing widespread concern with a recent spike in cases across Scotland and the wider UK.
Health experts warn the BA.2.86 variant has 34 mutations, meaning it could evade the protection offered by vaccines. According to the tracker GISAID, the Pirola strain has been detected in 15 countries, reports the Daily Record.
There are also concerns over Eris Covid, with cases identified in Scotland. Both variants are being monitored by the World Health Organisation.
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Scotland has so far confirmed five cases of the new variant, with worries it will spread throughout the autumn and winter months, putting more pressure on an already strained NHS.
According to The Zoe Health Study, 1,285,247 people in the UK were predicted to have symptomatic Covid on September 11. The data also states that there were over 100,000 new cases of the virus recorded on September 10.
In Scotland, the seven day average number of new Covid cases recorded per day was 217 in the week ending September 10.
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In the seven days ending on September 9, a total of 1,615 cases of Covid were recorded in Scotland, according to the latest UK Government figures. This figure represents 29.5 per cent per 100,000 population, a rise from 20.09 per 100,000 of the Scottish population at the end of August.
However, this case number does not reflect the total number of cases across the country due to lack of testing at home and in the community. Lateral flow tests are no longer free in Scotland.
The number of hospitalisations in the week ending September 10 in Scotland was 251, according to Public Health Scotland.
There has also been an increase in the virus levels detected in water, with Public Health Scotland stating that Covid traces in wastewater has "increased sharply" in recent weeks.
The variant is not known to cause any additional symptoms or cause more severe illness. However, there is still a lot to learn about the strain, with scientists working to better understand the virus variant.
The key symptoms to look out for are:
Pirola Covid is an Omicron sub-variant. The strain has 34 mutations, resulting in concern from health experts.
This is because these mutations can allow for the virus to break the protection provided by vaccination as well as levels of immunity provided by a previous infection of Covid.
Experts are working to better understand the variant, with the World Health Organisation closely monitoring the strain and its spread.