Worst bout of Covid ever? New variant ‘fuses to lung cells faster – and may be more severe’

A HIGHLY mutated Covid variant could be the most severe strain yet, researchers suggest.

A study showed the BA.2.86 “Pirola” variant —  which is closely related to the globally dominant JN.1 — can fuse to lung cells faster than other Omicron strains.

GettyThe BA.2.86 variant could be the most severe strain yet, experts have suggested[/caption]

Experts said it may suggest that Omicron is evolving to be a more severe form of itself.

Dr Shan-Lu Liu, of Ohio State University, told Fortune: “We cannot ignore the evidence. 

“Anything can happen. It’s really hard to predict what’s going to come next, but nature can do amazing things.”

The JN.1 variant is currently the most prevalent strain of Covid around the world, accounting for around 65 per cent of cases in the UK.

Experts say the offshoot of Omicron strain could mean the latest wave of coronavirus in Britain is the “biggest yet”.

The Centers for Disease Control and Protection (CDC) has previously said the “growth of JN.1 suggests that it is either more transmissible or better at evading our immune systems”.

BA.2.86 is closely related to JN.1 but was actually spotted earlier than the currently dominant strain, according to the CDC.

There is only one change in the spike protein between the two variants and it was first spotted in the UK in August last year.

The study, published in Cell, looked at how the variant responded to vaccines and affected the body when compared to other strains.

Researchers tested a lab-created version of BA.2.86 that is not infectious to see how well it fuses to human cells.

They found it binds more efficiently to cells in the lower lung — a trait that is more similar to more deadly strains that existed before Omicron.

Dr Liu said that while Omicron was typically considered more mild because it tended to affect the upper rather than lower airways, BA.2.86 may reverse this trend.

Separate research, also published in Cell, came to a similar conclusion.

Professor Stefan Pohlmann, of Georg-August-University Gottingen in Germany, said: “BA.2.86 has regained a trait characteristic of early SARS-CoV-2 lineages: robust lung cell entry.

“It might constitute an elevated health threat as compared to previous Omicron sublineages.”