New COVID-19 variant ‘Eris’: How bad is the new EG.5.1 variant?

A new variant of COVID-19, codenamed Eris, is spreading fast across the United Kingdom. The variant EG.5.1 also known as Eris has descended from the rapidly spreading Omicron according to the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA). Eris accounts for one in seven new COVID cases in the UK, making it the second most prevalent variant in the country.
So, How bad is the new COVID-19 variant?
The UK government started monitoring the first signal of EG.5.1 on July 3, 2023, and within a month It was declared a variant due to its rapid increase in UK’s genome data. Since then it has had a significant growth advantage over other strains with a 20.5% growth advantage.
According to media reports, the five most common symptoms of Eris, are runny nose, headache, fatigue, sneezing, and sore throat. The accelerated spread of the new variant also explains the recent rise in cases and hospitalisation in the UK. Interestingly, the rise in COVID-19 cases in the UK has been down to multiple factors. This includes the waning immunity from previous vaccinations or infections, more people in congested indoor settings due to a heavy summer, and the rise of public gatherings in music concerts and movie screenings. But despite the increase in cases, hospital admission rates in the UK seem to remain relatively low. While the Eris variant is currently causing concern in the UK, the variant XBB.1.16, also known as “Arcturus” still remains the dominant variant, accounting for 39.4% of all cases in the UK. The experts also reiterate that there is currently no evidence to suggest that Eris is more dangerous or causes more severe disease than previous variants. And it’s not just UK, Covid cases have also been increasing once again in several countries such as the United States, and Japan, due to a new fast-spreading Eris variant. However, It has not been officially reported in India yet.
According to WHO, the countries should not let down their guard and need to make sure the people are better protected by vaccines and proper precautions.