Australian news are highlighting the BA.2.86 variant, nicknamed Pirola,2 while Irish news are warning about an Omicron offshoot dubbed "the real deal" by World Health Organization officials3,4 — just in case you decided that COVID was no big deal anymore.

Seven other COVID variants are also being monitored by the WHO, and an additional three variants have been declared VOI, which calls for more extensive monitoring.5

Considering the many variants that have come and gone since 2020, isn't it curious that media are now all of a sudden focusing on particular COVID strains again, just as we're moving into fall and influenza season?

As previously predicted, we were given a short respite over the summer, and in the fall, the fearmongering will ramp up again to drive people into the vaccination clinics where they will be pressured to get not just one but three different shots — a booster for COVID, a flu vaccine and a brand-new fast-tracked vaccine for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).

And, despite proof that masking is useless and lockdowns were a devastating mistake that should never be repeated, these failed strategies will likely be reimplemented as well. Our only hope, really, is mass disobedience, because those in charge are ignoring both science and the law.

Pirola Detected in Four Countries

Pirola has currently only been detected in Denmark, Israel, the U.S. and the U.K. As a "variant under monitoring" (VUM), the epidemiology of Pirola is being investigated and its characteristics and spread are being tracked.6