What Is EG.5 Variant? What Are The Symptoms Of New COVID-19 Strain 'Eris'?

EG.5 is a subvariant of the Omicron coronavirus variant that was first identified in the united states in january 2023. It has since been detected in more than 40 countries, including India, China, South Korea, Japan, and Canada. EG.5 is a descendant of XBB.1.9.2, with one extra spike mutation.

What are the symptoms of EG.5? The symptoms of EG.5 are similar to those of other Omicron subvariants. They may include

fever, cough, shortness of breath, fatigue, muscle aches, headache, sore throat, and runny nose. Some people with EG.5 may also experience nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.

How does EG.5 spread? EG.5 is spread through respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes. It can also be spread through contact with contaminated surfaces. What are the potential risk associated with EG.5 variant? In its evaluation of the risk associated with EG.5, the WHO has stated that available evidence suggests no significant additional public health risks when compared to other lineages descended from the Omicron variant. However, the organization emphasises the need for a more comprehensive risk assessment of EG.5.

How can I protect myself from EG.5? There are a number of things you can do to protect yourself from EG.5:

Get vaccinated and boosted against COVID-19. Wear a mask in public indoor settings. Social distance from others. Wash your hands frequently. Avoid close contact with people who are sick. What is the WHO doing about EG.5? The World health Organization (WHO) has officially classified a recently identified sub-variant of Covid as EG.5, informally referred to as "Eris," as a variant of interest, which means that it is being monitored closely for any potential changes in its transmissibility or severity. The WHO is also urging countries to continue reporting comprehensive data on COVID-19 cases, hospitalisations, and deaths. This data will help the WHO to better understand the impact of EG.5 and to make informed recommendations for public health measures. What does the future hold for EG.5 Variant? It is still too early to say for sure what the long-term impact of EG.5 will be. However, the WHO is concerned about the potential for EG.5 to cause another wave of COVID-19 infections. The WHO is urging countries to take steps to prepare for the possibility of an EG.5-driven wave, such as increasing vaccination rates and improving testing and contact tracing capabilities. The importance of data reporting The WHO has stressed the importance of consistent and comprehensive COVID-19 data reporting. This data is essential for understanding the impact of EG.5 and for making informed decisions about public health measures. Unfortunately, many countries are not reporting comprehensive data to the WHO. This is hampering the global response to the pandemic and making it difficult to track the spread of EG.5. The WHO is urging all countries to make a renewed commitment to reporting comprehensive COVID-19 data. This data is essential for protecting people from COVID-19 and for preventing future pandemics. Dr. Maria Van Kerkhove, the WHO's technical lead on COVID-19, has noted that EG.5 exhibits heightened transmissibility but does not demonstrate increased severity compared to other Omicron sublineages in circulation since late 2021. director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus expressed concern over the insufficient reporting of COVID-19 data by many countries to the WHO. He revealed that only a mere 11% of countries had reported data on hospitalisations and ICU admissions related to the virus. Dr. Van Kerkhove lamented the lack of data from numerous countries, highlighting that this data deficiency hampers the global response to the virus. She noted a decline in the agility and responsiveness that was more prominent in the initial stages of the pandemic. The global impact of COVID-19 remains staggering, with over 6.9 million lives lost and more than 768 million confirmed cases since the virus emerged. The WHO declared the outbreak a pandemic in march 2020 and lifted the global emergency status for COVID-19 in May of the current year.