The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has published
its latest variant technical
briefing containing updated analysis of the emergent
variant BA.2.86.
BA.2.86 continues to transmit within the UK, with sporadic cases
identified in most regions.
The briefing contains early laboratory data from a number of
scientific organisations around the UK,
including UKHSA’s own Vaccine
Development and Evaluation Centre (VDEC), the University of
Oxford, the Glasgow Centre of Virus Research and the Pirbright
Institute.
This early data indicates that BA.2.86 is no more likely to evade
existing antibodies than XBB.1.5, another variant that has been
circulating widely in the UK.
While the available data remains limited, there is currently no
evidence to suggest that BA.2.86 infection is more likely to make
people seriously ill than currently-circulating variants, while
vaccination is likely to provide continued protection.
UKHSA will
continue to monitor vaccine effectiveness in the population
throughout the winter and will publish updated analysis in due
course.
Professor Susan Hopkins, Chief Medical Advisor, UKHSA said:
While this is still very early data and more research is needed
before we can be certain, it is encouraging to see an initial
indication that BA.2.86 demonstrates similar levels of antibody
escape compared to other variants circulating in the UK. The
available data is too limited to draw conclusions about the
severity of the illness it causes, but there is so far no
evidence to suggest that it is more likely to make people
seriously ill than other Omicron variants in circulation.
The autumn vaccination programme started this month, and this new
data shows once again how important it is that the most
vulnerable among us are fully vaccinated in order to receive the
greatest possible protection. I urge everyone eligible to come
forward for their next dose as soon as they are called.
The UKHSA technical briefing
also includes initial findings of tests performed in
the UKHSA laboratory at
Porton Down to examine the effectiveness of lateral flow devices
(LFDs) in detecting
BA.2.86, which found no reduction in sensitivity compared to
previous variants.
BA.2.86 was first identified in August and, as of 18 September,
137 cases have been sequenced in 15 countries: Australia, Canada,
Denmark, France, Germany, Israel, Japan, Portugal, South Africa,
South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the UK, and the US.
As of 18 September, there were 54 confirmed cases in the UK, 48
in England and 6 in Scotland. No cases have been identified in
Wales or Northern Ireland. Of the 48 cases in England, 30 were
identified as part of a care home outbreak investigation in the
East of England, while the other 18 were identified through
routine genomic surveillance. Of the 48 cases, 10 cases were
hospitalised, 2 were tested in an emergency department, and 6
cases have unknown hospitalisation status. There were no known
deaths due to COVID-19 among these cases.
As we head into the winter months when case rates are expected to
rise as people mix more indoors, it remains vital that people
continue to follow the latest
guidance in order to avoid catching and transmitting
COVID-19. The advice remains unchanged; if you have any symptoms
of respiratory infection, you should limit your contact with
other people as much as possible, especially the elderly and
those with existing medical conditions.
The autumn vaccination
campaign for COVID-19 and flu is under way for those
people at higher risk. UKHSA is urging everyone
who is offered a vaccination to come forward and take it up as
soon as possible.
