The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is monitoring the new strain of COVID-19 after the first case in the U.S. was reported this week in Michigan.
Seven cases of the highly mutated BA.2.86 strain have been identified worldwide, including one in Washtenaw County, according to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. BA.2.86 An elderly patient with mild symptoms.
“Based on the available evidence, it is not yet known what risks it may pose to public health beyond those seen with other strains currently in circulation,” said a statement from Michigan Department of Health spokeswoman Chelsea Wood. Health and Human Services.
Wood says state health officials are working with the CDC to gather more information about the new strain.
The World Health Organization flagged the BA.2.86 strain as a “variant under surveillance” on Thursday, August 17 “due to a high number of mutations.” An announcement said. The agency said more data will be needed to understand the purpose of this virus strain “but the number of mutations is compelling.”
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Additional cases were identified this week in Israel, Denmark and the United Kingdom According to GISAIDGlobal Virus Tracker.
“Public health agencies continue to investigate cases and test available samples to understand the spread of COVID-19 in the population. “Both the University of Michigan and Michigan State are sequencing Covid-19 viruses and finding new variants, which is why this variant was identified,” Wuth said.
Health experts say the BA.2.86 mutations are similar enough to the one that led to Omicron, which dominated last fall. But virologist Jesse Bloom of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, said in a slideshow Even if a “highly mutated new variant” begins to spread, “we will be in a much better place than we were in 2020 and 2021 because most people now have some immunity to SARS-CoV-2.”
Michigan’s latest cases of Covid-19 are on the rise, but remain low.
The daily average of 1.5 hospitalizations per 100,000 people was higher than the previous week but well below the peak of 40 admissions. Case rates are rising, state reports August 15 updateBut the levels are the lowest since March 2020.
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services encourages people to get tested for COVID-19 when they are sick. The government insists on keeping citizens as well Stay up-to-date with their Covid-19 vaccine Protection against serious illness and hospitalization.
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