The omicron BA.2.86 lineage of SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic, is known to have emerged suddenly with approximately 30 genetic mutations in the spike protein, similar to the earlier omicron BA.1 variant. However, BA.2.86 was not sufficiently infectious to become a dominant strain, and it was only after further mutating into the JN.1 variant that a significant surge in infections began to occur.
This article was originally published on MedicalXpress.com