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FromMartina Lippl
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A new corona variant is spreading rapidly. “Eris” – or EG.5 shows a conspicuous mutation. It is still unclear how dangerous the omicron subvariant is.
Geneva – Just before autumn dives corona in the form of EG.5 or also called “Eris” in the headlines again. The nickname “Eris” – named after the Greek goddess of chaos, strife and discord – sounds dramatic. The World Health Organization (WHO) on Wednesday (August 9, 2023) upgraded EG.5 to the category of “virus variants of interest”. What does that mean? A brief overview:
EG.5 Ancestry | XBB.1.9.2 (Omicron) |
---|---|
Established for the first time | February 17, 2023 |
Variant under observation (VUM) | since July 19, 2023 |
Variant of Interest (VOI) | since August 9, 2023 |
additional mutation | on the spike protein (F456L) |
New coronavirus variant EG.5 or “Eris” – This is known about the omicron subtype
The Sars-CoV-2 virus has evolved and mutated over time. Various variants have since emerged. EG.5 is one of them. EG.5 derives from the Omicron strain of coronavirus – specifically from the XBB family. However, the new offspring has an additional spike mutation called F456L. This small difference probably allows the virus to trick acquired immunity in our body from a previous corona infection or vaccination.
“A little more slippery and evasive for antibodies already present”
Virologist and scientist Stuart Turville from the University of New South Wales in Sydney (Australia) described the variant EG.5 as “a bit slippery and evasive for already existing antibodies”, like the Australian news portal abc.net.au reported. “So it has a small advantage,” says Corona expert Turvill. It means that “Eris” is more infectious than other variants, including Omicron.
New corona variant EG.5 or “Eris” increases the number of infections (symbolic photo). A small mutation apparently gives her an advantage.
© imago
At the moment, researchers doubt whether EG.5 really lives up to its nickname “Eris”. According to the WHO, the variant does not pose a particular risk: “Based on the available knowledge, the risk to public health posed by EG.5 is estimated to be low at a global level.” EG.5 can spread worldwide and lead to an increase in certain cases.” According to WHO corona expert Maria Van Kerkhove, although EG.5 has not developed a more severe course of the disease, lower vaccination protection has been observed than with other virus variants.
Looks like we’re going to be talking about EG.5.1 a fair bit as it is increasing significantly in many places. To aid communication about it, we’re going with the nickname “Eris” for EG.5.1*.
Note that nickname ≠ expected to cause a big wave by itself.https://t.co/LwMHPoyqX2
— T. Ryan Gregory (@TRyanGregory) August 1, 2023
New corona variant EG.5 appears on Mallorca: Which countries are affected?
“Eris” cases have increased in many countries. In China, the USA and Great Britain, the proportion of the subvariant is steadily increasing. But the number of infections is also skyrocketing on the holiday island of Mallorca.
The number of active corona cases on the Balearic island has doubled within a month. The course of the disease is predominantly “mild”, reports the Mallorca Magazine citing an expert. Although the number of infections would increase again throughout Spain, the “data situation would not give cause for concern”, said preventive medicine specialist Joan Carles March.
“There’s probably going to be a surge of more cases and all the problems that come with that,” said Christina Pagel, a professor at University College London in the UK The Guardians. The corona expert therefore fears more hospital stays and long Covid in Great Britain. For now, though, there’s no reason to think it “will be any worse than previous waves this year,” Pagel says. However, the EG.5 wave could take longer to peak and therefore be larger due to decreasing immunity from vaccinations or previous infections.
What are the symptoms of the new coronavirus variant EG.5 “Eris”?
The symptoms of subvariant EG.5 are, as with a coronavirus infection, cough, fever or chills, shortness of breath, tiredness and muscle aches or headaches. In addition, however, “new symptoms” such as loss of taste or smell occur. These were already widespread in earlier coronavirus variants, especially at the beginning of the pandemic.
- Sore throat
- runny or stuffy nose
- Sneeze
- dry cough
- Headache
- loose cough with sputum
- hoarseness
- Muscle aches
- Influence on the sense of smell
EG.5 or “Eris” is more contagious but not more contagious, says Professor K. Srinath Reddy of the Public Health Foundation of India in the Washington Post. “The effects on the human body are about the same,” says Reddy. Symptoms usually include a runny nose, sneezing, and a dry cough. However, due to a lack of tests, it is difficult to distinguish an EG.5 infection from the flu or a cold. (ml)
List of rubrics: © imago
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