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BA.2.86—dubbed “pirola” by a group of scientists on social media who name notable variants—has been detected in only about a dozen people, but it has surfaced in all corners of the world. What’s troubling about this variant, scientists say, is that it contains more than 30 mutations on the spike protein, which is what helps the virus enter cells and cause an infection. This means it might be able to evade current vaccines and previous infections more easily, and it likely won’t be a great match with the fall booster expected to be approved soon. “It’s drastically different” than the dominant variants circulating now, says Katelyn Jetelina, a scientific adviser to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and author of the “Your Local Epidemiologist” newsletter. (Reddy, 8/28)

Canada has detected its first case of coronavirus infection from the highly mutated BA.2.86 variant of Omicron in a person in British Columbia who had not traveled outside the Pacific province, health officials said on Tuesday. The individual is not hospitalized, and the detection of BA.2.86 virus has not changed the risk to people in British Columbia, the province's top doctor, Bonnie Henry, and Health Minister Adrian Dix said in a joint statement. (8/29)

It’s so new that the World Health Organization hasn’t assigned it an official name, calling it a variant “under surveillance” earlier this month, a level below variants of interest or variants of concern. WHO is encouraging countries to track and report cases of the variant. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said last week that at least two cases of Pirola (or BA. 2.86) have been identified in the U.S. (Cho, 8/29)

At least one expert is urging the country to take COVID more seriously – Dr. Deborah Birx, who served as the White House Coronavirus Response Coordinator under former President Donald Trump. Birx spoke to ABC News’ podcast “START HERE” about why she says the government is living in “a bit of a fantasy world" when it comes to the COVID-19 response. Birx also explains why she believes that the next month's vaccine booster is coming weeks too late and is arguing that seasonal booster shots should be made available more quickly. She also addressed criticism she didn’t combat misinformation from Trump during her time in the White House. (8/29)

There is clear evidence that COVID-19 is on the rise in New York City, the U.S., and other places around the world, but the late-summer surge in cases, hospitalizations, and deaths is so far more like an uptick than a wave, and those numbers remain low. There’s also a new highly mutated variant called BA.2.86 on the scene and a newly updated COVID booster shot on the horizon. Below is what to know — and why not to panic — about the state of COVID as we head into the first fall and winter since the official end of the U.S. and global public-health emergencies over the coronavirus. (Danner, 8/29)

Here are the counties with the highest rates of COVID-19 hospital admissions per 100,000 people. (Wolf, 8/29)

Everyone’s risk tolerance varies, Dr. William Schaffner, an infectious disease specialist at the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, said. But particularly if you are 65 or older, have an underlying condition that makes you more vulnerable to severe disease or are pregnant, he recommends wearing a mask whenever you are in a relatively confined, crowded indoor space. That can include stores, offices and public transportation. “Certainly every time you add another person to the room, particularly people who are within three to five feet of you, that increases your chance of getting infected, exponentially,” Dr. Pekosz added. (Blum, 8/29)

Before you rip open a test that has been in your medicine cabinet since 2020, check the expiration date. If the test has expired, you can’t always trust the result. “I don’t think it’s like having an old Ibuprofen or something,” said Dr. Marc Sala, co-director of the Northwestern Medicine Comprehensive Covid-19 Center. “I think you really need to take that seriously.” (Blum, 8/29)

Patients diagnosed as having long COVID and myalgic encephalitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) reported that most symptoms remained severe up to 20 months after SARS-CoV-2 infection, while those with long COVID alone reported improvement, according to a recent observational study in eClinicalMedicine. (Van Beusekom, 8/29)

More than three years after Waylon Bailey faced a felony terrorism charge for making a joke on Facebook, an appeals court ruled that he was arrested wrongfully. (Melnick, 8/30)

ESPN’s lead tennis analyst John McEnroe said he tested positive for the virus that causes Covid-19 and will miss some time covering the US Open tennis championships. “Unfortunately, after feeling a bit under the weather, I tested positive for Covid,” McEnroe said in a statement Tuesday. “I’m watching the US Open from home & can’t wait to get back to work soon.” (Sterling, 8/29)