New Corona variant: WHO upgrades threat of “Eris”

Spread the love

Read Time:1 Minute, 50 Second

As health experts worldwide fear another devastating pandemic, they are trying to avoid the mistake many governments made in 2019 when the risks associated with Covid-19 were underestimated.

With the new Eris strain on the rise and leading to new cases, the World Health Organization (WHO) hastily declared it an “interesting variant.” It warned people to take all the necessary precautions taken during the pandemic in recent years.

Meanwhile, the main symptoms of Eris were listed. They also provided information on the extent of the spread in the United Kingdom.

As the number of Eris cases increases worldwide, the WHO has taken the precaution of declaring the disease a “variant of interest.” The United Kingdom, China and the United States are already affected. Known scientifically as EG.5.1, it is related to an Omicron subvariant called XBB.1.9.2.

Although the public health risk associated with the new version is considered low, experts warn against complacency as it can still cause a significant wave of infections.

Last week, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) released data estimating that 15% of sequenced Covid 19 cases in England were due to the new strain. Dr. Meera Chand, deputy director of the UKHSA, said:

EG.5.1 was classified as a variant on July 31, 2023, due to its continued international growth and presence in the UK so that we can monitor it as part of our routine surveillance processes.
It believes vaccination “remains our best defence against future Covid 19 waves.” WHO recommended that its members focus on better understanding the outbreak of antibodies and the severity of Eris and monitor changes in severity indicators.

Here’s the difference between Eris and other Covid 19 variants.
According to WHO, Eris has shown “increased prevalence, growth advantage, and immunologic escape characteristics” but “no reported changes in disease severity.”

Christina Pagel, professor of operational research at University College London, expects that “there is likely to be a wave of more cases.” Still, she does not expect it to be worse than other strains.

She also cautioned that declining immunity could mean the Eris wave will take longer to peak and be more considerable.