The EG.5, dubbed as Eris, is a new subvariant of Covid-19 rapidly spreading across the UK and the US. According to the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), the Eris variant is now responsible for one in seven Covid cases in the country. In the US, it already accounts for almost one-fifth of the cases, as per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Officially known as EG5, the strain accounted for 17.3 per cent of cases in the US as of August 5, up from 7.5 per cent in the first week of July. In the UK, it was first identified as a concern in July 2023, Eris has now become the most prevalent strain
Other than the US and the UK, cases of Covid subvariant Eris are also being reported in China, Europe and Japan sparking concerns regarding another wave of Covid infections globally
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EG.5 or Eris, the newest subtype of Omicron, has been reported in India since May 2023. The variant was first detected in Maharashtra. A recent survey by LocalCircles found that at least one in three households in Karnataka, one in five in Delhi, and one in six in Maharashtra had a person with viral fever or Covid-like symptoms
India reported 39 fresh coronavirus infections and the active cases stood at 1,472, according to Union Health Ministry data on August 14
Dr NK Arora, Head of the government's Covid Advisory Task Group, told India Today’s Sneha Mordani, "It is not of concern at all. It has been there in India for over three months and there has been no upsurge of cases or hospitalisation."
Eris has similar symptoms to Omicron, which includes:- Runny or stuffy nose
- Headache
- Fatigue
- Sneezing
- Sore throat
- Coughing
- Changes to sense of smell
To prevent infection due to the EG.5 or Eris Covid subvariant, people can follow the COVID protocols of wearing masks, washing and sanitising one’s hands frequently, social distancing and avoiding crowded places. It is also recommended that you keep up to date with vaccine and booster shots
The World Health Organization (WHO) has already added EG.5.1 to the list of monitored variants and classified it as a "variant of interest"
“While the emergency of Covid has been lifted and we’re no longer in a crisis phase, the threat of Covid is not gone. So, keeping up with surveillance and sequencing remains absolutely critical,” said Dr Maria Van Kerkhove, the WHO’s technical lead for the virus in a press conference earlier. On the Eris variant, she added, “We don't detect a change in the severity of EG.5 compared to other sublineages of Omicron that have been in circulation since late 2021.”