Moderna announced on Wednesday that their updated booster shots are expected to effectively combat the BA.2.86 variant, unofficially known as “Pirola.” With rising COVID-19 cases across the US, health authorities are closely monitoring this new variant, which experts caution may warrant mask-wearing to slow its spread. Pirola, a highly mutated form of Omicron, has raised concerns among doctors due to its more than 30 spike protein mutations, crucial for entering and infecting human cells. Infectious disease specialist Dr. Scott Roberts emphasized the significance of this high mutation count, noting the worrying trend of substantial shifts in variants, similar to the transition from Delta to Omicron.