September 9th 2023.
The latest Covid-19 variant, Pirola, is spreading in the community according to experts. This follows an outbreak at a Norfolk care home which saw 33 of the 38 residents test positive for Covid, along with 12 members of staff. Thankfully, no deaths resulted from this outbreak.
Testing revealed that the variant, which is scientifically known as BA.2.86, was present in 28 of those infected - 22 residents and 6 staff. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has been working with Norfolk county council to offer infection control advice and support.
It is too early to know the full extent of the new strain, but it's clear that it is circulating in the community. The UKHSA has urged those eligible for a booster vaccine to take up the offer. Dr Renu Bindra, UKHSA incident director, said: “UKHSA scientists are working with international partners to culture the samples and analyse the evidence as it becomes available. However, it is likely to be some time before we have enough data to make a confident assessment.”
In response to the emergence of the Pirola variant, the rollout of the latest vaccine booster has been brought forward from October to September 11 as a precautionary measure. Care home residents and clinically vulnerable people will be offered the vaccine first, before rolling it out to everyone in the UK aged 65 or over.
Testing for Covid-19 has been scaled back, making it difficult to get a reliable picture of how the virus is currently spreading in the UK. One indicator, however, is the number of infected people in hospital - 2,879 patients in England had tested positive for the virus as of September 3, up 13% on the previous week and the highest number since May 26.
It is important to remember, however, that the current rise in patients testing positive had already started a number of weeks before the Pirola variant was detected. Pirola was first detected in Denmark on July 24 and has since been confirmed in a number of countries, including South Africa, Canada, Denmark, Sweden, Israel and the US.
We must remain vigilant and take all necessary precautions to protect ourselves and our communities from the spread of Covid-19. If you are eligible for a booster vaccine, please make sure you take up the offer. For more information on the Pirola variant, please read our guide here.
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