New Studies Raise Concerns Over Severity Of Highly Mutated COVID Variants

• New studies suggest that the highly mutated COVID variants, BA.2.86 and JN.1, may lead to more severe disease than other Omicron variants.
• These variants, particularly BA.2.86, exhibit traits similar to pre-Omicron strains, making them potentially more dangerous.
• Researchers from Ohio State University and Germany/France independently found that BA.2.86 can efficiently fuse to human cells, infecting the lower lungs, which may reverse the trend of milder upper airway infections seen with Omicron.

Two new studies published in the journal Cell highlight concerns about the COVID variants BA.2.86 and JN.1, indicating their potential to cause more severe disease than previous Omicron strains. Researchers from Ohio State University conducted experiments with a BA.2.86 pseudovirus, revealing its efficient fusion with human cells and an ability to infect cells in the lower lungs, reminiscent of pre-Omicron strains. “BA.2.86 has regained a trait characteristic of early SARS-CoV-2 lineages: robust lung cell entry,” says the authors of the second study, emphasizing the elevated health threat.

Omicron’s Trend Reversal

While the initial Omicron strain was generally considered milder than earlier variants, the studies suggest that BA.2.86 and potentially JN.1 may reverse this trend. Omicron tended to infect the upper airway, causing less severe disease, but the new variants show a preference for the lower airway, raising concerns about increased severity. The studies indicate that the virus may be evolving into a form that causes more severe illness, challenging the hope that it might attenuate to a common cold.

Waning Immunity and Future Risks

The severity of COVID illness is complicated by waning immunity, as antibody protection from vaccination or prior infection declines over time. With low uptake of COVID boosters globally, longer intervals since infection or booster shots may increase the risk of severe outcomes. The studies contribute to concerns about the evolving nature of the virus, with the lead author suggesting the need for further research into potential risks, including the virus recombining with other coronaviruses in animals and posing new challenges to human health.

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Source: Fortune

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