WHO Elevates COVID-19 Strain BA.2.86 To “Variant Of Interest”

CNN (11/29, Goodman) reports, “The World Health Organization has notched up the status of the coronavirus strain BA.2.86 and its offshoots, naming it a ‘variant of interest,’ although the organization says the current risk from this family of viruses appears to be low.” The agency “also has XBB.1.5, XBB.1.6 and EG.5 classified as variants of interest,” although “there are no current variants of concern, the highest designation.”