evidence: Will BA.2.86 ('Pirola'), the New Coronavirus Variant, Increase COVID-19 Cases? [...] BA.2.86 is a newly designated variant of Omicron, which itself is a variant of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. BA.2.86 has additional mutations compared to previously detected Omicron subvariants. More specifically, it is derived from BA.2, an Omicron subvariant that circulated more than a year ago, Dr. Roberts adds. [...] According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), existing tests to detect and medications used to treat COVID-19 (such as Paxlovid, Veklury, and Lagevrio) appear to be effective with BA.2.86, but this variant may be more capable of causing infection in people who have had COVID-19 or have been vaccinated against it. There is currently no evidence that the strain is causing more severe illness.