The Korean health authorities reported the first confirmed case of a Korean patient infected with the BA.2.86 variant of Covid-19, also known as "Pirola," believed to possess a high degree of immune evasion.

The Central Disease Control Headquarters (CDCH) said Wednesday that it detected the Pirola variant on Aug. 31 for the first time in Korea. 

The individual infected with this new variant has no record of international travel and is suspected to be a domestic case, health officials said. They also mentioned that the patient’s symptoms are mild, and no additional cases have been detected among household or work contacts.

The BA.2.86 variant carries over 30 additional mutations in the spike protein compared to BA.2. Spike proteins are pivotal in facilitating the entry of the Covid-19 virus into human cells, and if these mutations alter the spike protein's structure in a way that enhances its ability to enter cells, it could potentially increase the virus's infectivity.

As of Sept. 4, the Pirola variant was confirmed in Denmark with 12 cases, Sweden with five, the U.S. with four, the U.K. with two, and France with two, according to news reports. 

The number of Covid-19 cases is decreasing in Korea.

The average daily number of Covid-19 infections in the fifth week of August went down to 36,290, down by 3.9 percent compared to 37,756 in the previous week.  

The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency downgraded the Covid-19 pandemic level from Level 2 to Level 4, the lowest, on Aug. 31.