{Excerpt} The constant emergence of novel SARS-CoV-2 variants has driven the COVID-19 pandemic and sustains the current endemic . Saltation variants , such as BA.2.86 ,1 encode highly mutated spike (S) proteins that efficiently evade neutralising antibodies . In November, 2024, a potential saltation variant, BA.3.2 , was detected in South Africa but its spread remained uncertain. Early studies on BA.3.2 did not include comparisons among its subvariants or with dominant variants NB.1.8.1 and XFG.2 ,3 Moreover, the effect of the often overlooked S protein insertion of Ala-Ser-Asp-Thr at position 214 remained unexamined. In this Correspondence, we provide an epidemiological and virological update on BA.3.2, with the use of BA.3 (parental lineage) and NB.1.8.1 and XFG (currently prevalent) as references. (...) Source: The Lancet Infectious Diseases, https://www.thelancet.com/journals/laninf/article/PIIS1473-3099(25)00658-9/fulltext?rss=yes ____
Media Monitoring for Signals about Emerging Threats