What is the new COVID-19 variant 'Pirola' and has it reached MENA?

Although many people consider the Covid-19 outbreak to be over, scientists and global health monitoring teams continue to closely monitor how the virus is evolving. The most recent sub-variant, BA.X, also known as Pirola by researchers, is the one that epidemiologists are most concerned about.

What is the new Covid-19 variant and is it dangerous?

Epidemiologists have referred to this severely mutated sub-variant of Omicron as "the real deal," implying that it may have the potential to proliferate quickly and emerge as the dominant variation. Though not yet supported by scientific evidence, the main worry is that Pirola could defy immune responses from vaccinations or prior infections and produce consequences, mainly in vulnerable people, that could cause overburdening of the health care system.

Pirola was discovered for the first time by WHO surveillance teams last month. Despite its promise, the sub-variant is still only listed as a "variant of interest," as opposed to Omicron in 2021, which means it needs to be closely watched.

Has Pirola reached the Middle East and North Africa?

Simply said, absolutely. Less than 30 Pirola instances have been reported worldwide, yet this is not as reassuring as it should be. The US, UK, Canada, Sweden, Denmark, Portugal, South Africa, and Israel are among the countries where this limited number of instances have been discovered. This indicates that the sub-variant is spreading in a way that both local and international health organizations are not entirely able to identify.

Therefore, even though Israel is the only country in the MENA region to have a documented Pirola case, the fact that it exists there suggests that it is almost certainly widespread - but undetected - in other nations in the area.

What can be done about it, could there be more lockdowns?

Countries like the UK and Israel have rolled out booster vaccinations for the most susceptible to defend against any potential spikes in Covid-19 infections, in addition to the usual precautions like wearing face masks and washing your hands frequently.

Keeping track of Pirola could be very challenging in the MENA, particularly given the significant number of refugees and displaced peoples in the area.

If you have not yet had any or all of your Covid-19 vaccinations, experts advise that you do so right away to reduce your risk of contracting, spreading, and developing serious illness from Pirola and all virus variations.

This might entail the return of universal testing, self-isolation, and contact tracing for persons affected or at risk of infection instead of lockdowns. Additionally, it might signify the use of booster shots and perhaps the probable return of mask laws in public areas. However, because to the prevalence of Covid-19 conspiracy theories, denialism, and misinformation, the former would be viewed as being extremely contentious in many nations.

Despite the fact that there have been no documented cases of Pirola in the MENA region, Turkey has called on anyone exhibiting Covid-like symptoms to undergo a PCR test so that the government can monitor prospective Pirola cases. In contrast, Shuaib Al-Muwaizri, a well-known MP in Kuwait, demanded the closure of the WHO office there in response to the Pirola revelation, alleging it was a part of a plot to impose additional lockdowns and bring the world's population down to 1 billion.