Since the last BA.2.86 update, lab and epidemiological data have trickled in. Many of us took a big sigh of relief after seeing specific results over the weekend. Here is your update. Three labs have already tested BA.2.86 in a petri dish. (The speed of scientific discovery for SARS-CoV-2 still amazes me). They found three main things: escapes immunity, infectivity, and previous XBB infection.