New COVID Variant Pirola: What You Need to Know – Latest Updates and Insights

Hombre con COVID (Shutterstock)

The new variant of Covid-19 already has a name: Pirola. The Ministry of Public Health (MSP) of Ecuador has identified the first case in Quito, after a genetic analysis carried out in collaboration with the National Institute of Public Health Research. Identified as BA.2.86, this omicron subvariant is already found in various countries, which is why the World Health Organization (WHO) considers it a “variant under surveillance.”

However, since November, Pirola has been reclassified as a “variant of interest” due to the little evidence about its danger, which is why its scientific interest outweighs. A change in the symptoms it produces has not been confirmed compared to other variants; it is noted that the symptoms can be broad, similar to the signs of a cold.

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The outbreaks of this variant have also generated attention in Spain, where the infection trend shows an increase. Concern increases, since the Christmas season is a season where social interactions traditionally increase and, therefore, the risk of spreading respiratory viruses.

The American Medical Association warns that although there are common symptoms such as fever, chills, fatigue and sore throat that usually last between five and seven days, others have emerged that differ from those found in previous variants such as Alpha or Delta. In addition, the loss of taste and smell, characteristic in the first waves of the pandemic, seems to be less frequent in cases of omicron and its subvariants.

Vacuna COVID (Shutterstock)

However, there is still much to be investigated about BA.2.86 and its impact on public health. Health and scientific authorities remain alert to the possible evolution in transmissibility or the severity of the symptoms caused by this new variant. Meanwhile, Ecuador joins Brazil, Peru and Chile as the countries in the region that have detected this variation of the virus in their population.

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The importance of the coronavirus vaccine lies in its ability to significantly reduce the risk of infection, as well as the severity and mortality associated with the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Vaccines have proven to be a vital tool in controlling the pandemic, protecting both individuals and communities and helping to reduce the transmission of the virus.

Mass vaccination makes it possible to work toward herd immunity, which occurs when a large portion of the community becomes immune to the virus, either through immunization or by having recovered from the disease, ultimately reducing the likelihood that the virus from spreading and protects those who cannot be vaccinated.

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Vaccines against Covid-19 have also shown effectiveness in preventing severe forms of the disease and hospitalizations, even against emerging variants. Additionally, they reduce the burden on health systems, allowing other medical treatments and services to continue without the overload generated by pandemic spikes.

2023-12-19 08:46:00
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