Should we be worried about the new variant of Covid-19 nicknamed “Pirola”? This member of the Omicron family, scientific name BA.2.86.1.1, was detected on August 31 in France. It benefits from particular attention because of its numerous mutations making it likely to evolve more significantly and spread more easily.
If more surprising symptoms have been reported, for the moment, the indicators on its degree of severity are insufficient, according to epidemiologist Antoine Flahault, director of the Institute of Global Health in Geneva, who recalls that Covid- 19 “constitutes a major source of concern” for the French.
L’Express: Should we be worried about the new “Pirola” variant?
Antoine Flahault: We don’t know him very well yet. The variant which seems the most active is in fact a sub-variant of Pirola which is the site of numerous mutations, its scientific name is BA.2.86.1.1 or JN.1. It is growing rapidly in France and Ile-de-France in particular, and we began to detect it at the end of summer. On the other hand, we do not yet have enough perspective and knowledge to establish its increased severity or not. One thing is certain, its propagation is the logical continuation of these waves which return several times a year from Omicron. The new variants, including Pirola, are necessarily very transmissible, which constitutes a major source of concern. And they are still more resilient, which is also a concern.
On the one hand, Covid-19 is not an infection without consequences; very fragile and vulnerable people can tolerate it very badly. Then, we do not know what the persistent forms of the disease will be. So far, it has been documented that forms of long Covid represented around 10% of contaminations. With the Pirola sub-variant, there could be new disabling forms that poison people’s lives. Finally, the appearance of a new variant has economic consequences. It involves work stoppages and therefore service interruptions, which weighs heavily on the country’s economy.
Does the Pirola sub-variant still have any particularities? In particular, patients have reported seeing skin rashes on their face.
Each time a new variant appears, we want to find specific symptoms for it. As I explained, there is not enough data to say that there is anything new. What is certain is that it causes very serious fatigue, often high fever – around 39°C – and respiratory signs. As for rashes, they have actually always existed.
Its epicenter seems to be located in France. For what ?
You should know that many countries have lowered their guard in terms of health monitoring and sequencing. France is one of those which contributes the most sequences, just after Canada and the United States. It is therefore possible that the epidemiology, that is to say the distribution of these sub-variants, is underestimated at the moment in a certain number of countries. The positive point of all this is that we have, for the moment, no alarming reports. In France, the Ile-de-France region is very well equipped to deal with increases in intensive care cases. But currently, there is no reason to be worried. Our hospitals do not seem to be filling up with severe forms.
What measures can be taken to stop its spread?
The vaccine in its new 2023 formula, that is to say the booster, seems effective in reducing the transmission of the virus and preventing serious forms. Problem: the French are no longer attracted to vaccination. Let us remember, however, that today, the population has often been infected several times. This has positive consequences on collective immunity and has made it possible to avoid the most serious forms.
Besides vaccination which reduces the risks, there are two ways to avoid the spread of this Covid. First of all, wearing an FFP2 type mask. Symptomatic people should wear masks to avoid contaminating those around them. It has been proven that a positive person who wears a mask at least 50% of their time inside their home, and stays in a separate room, reduces contagion in the home by 80%. For people who do not have symptoms, they should also wear them indoors.
We should also emphasize the importance of ventilation and put CO2 sensors in closed rooms, so that we are always below the 800 parts per million (PPM) CO2 concentration. Otherwise, you must wear a mask. In public transport, schools, and shared offices, we are often above 800 PPM.