The WHO has classified it as a “variant of interest” as it can become dominant in some countries or globally and could contribute to a surge in cases. However, based on the currently available evidence, the risk to public health is assessed as ‘low’
The new variant of Sars-CoV-2 “EG.5”, renamed “Eris”, has been defined as “variant of interest» (You) by the World Health Organization (WHO) since «may become dominant in some countries
or even globally».
Growing in the world since the end of May, in mid-July it was included in the WHO list of mutants under surveillance (Vum). Now comes there new classification. Is there anything to worry about?
It “runs” fast in China, the USA, South Korea
According to recent WHO findings, the new variant of the coronavirus, also present in Italy, is on the way spreading rapidly in some countries of the world: China, United States, South Korea.
The WHO points out, however, that «on the basis of the available evidence, the health risk publish post from EG.5 is rated as low globally».
Increase in cases but not in the severity of the disease
Eris is part of the big family of Omicron, in particular it is the “daughter” of the Omicron XBB variant. With the classification of «variant of interest” comes tollined to the level of risk already associated with other variants of the coronavirus such as Arturo and Kraken.
The reasons are explained by the WHO itself: «Based on its characteristics genetics, immune escape characteristics, and growth rate estimates EG.5 could be spread globally e contribute to a surge in the incidence of cases. Different countries with an increasing prevalence of EG.5 have registered increases in cases and hospitalizationsalthough to this day there is no evidence of an increase in disease severity directly associated with EG.5».
The WHO, in fact, points out that “the available evidence does not suggest that EG.5 has additional risks to public health compared to the other descendant lineages of Omicron currently in circulation”.
The diffusion of Eris in Italy
The spread of the new variant is also on the increase in Italyas emerges from the latest available data, i.e. the weekly bulletin on the monitoring of Covid-19, released on August 4 by the Ministry of Health and the Higher Institute of Health (ISS) and referred to the week from July 28 to August 3. In particular, the ISS notes, based on sequencing data deposited on the I-Co-Gen platform, in the last consolidated sampling week (July 10-16: data as of 31 July) la proportion of sequencing attributable to EG.5.1 was equal to8.8%».
August 10, 2023 (change August 10, 2023 | 12:20)
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