The coronavirus has not disappeared. With the advent of successful vaccinations and better social management, however, it has waned.
Globally, over 1 million new covid-19 cases and more than 3,100 deaths were reported in the 28 days up to Aug. 3, according to the latest World Health Organization report — bringing the death toll to almost 7 million since the pandemic began.
Here’s what we know.
What is the EG.5 coronavirus variant?
The EG.5 coronavirus is a subvariant and descendant of omicron — which remains the world’s most prevalent coronavirus strain.
Twitter users and some media outlets have unofficially nicknamed the subvariant “Eris” in keeping with Greek nomenclature, but this name is not used officially by the WHO.
All viruses evolve and change over time. In its latest update, the WHO designated EG.5, which includes a similar EG.5.1 strain, as a variant of interest that countries should monitor. While EG.5 may fuel increases in cases, the WHO said it poses a low risk to public health in comparison with other omicron descendants because there is no evidence it is causing more-severe disease.
The virologist and researcher Stuart Turville, an associate professor at Sydney’s University of New South Wales, called the EG.5 variant “a little bit more slippery” and “competitive” than its counterparts, able to “navigate better the presence of antibodies” produced by vaccines.
It is, however, only incrementally different from other subvariants, having evolved slightly to “give it a better ability to engage and enter cells a little bit better,” he said.
Professor K. Srinath Reddy at the Public Health Foundation of India likened the subvariant to one of “several Barbies in the same film” — noting that it was essentially a variation of other omicron descendants.
EG.5 belongs to a family of subvariants “all within the overall umbrella of omicron,” he said in an interview. As with other omicron variants, it is “less invasive and lethal in the body” and “this still remains the general observation,” for EG.5, noted Reddy, a physician.
What symptoms may be associated with EG.5?
The symptoms for this subvariant remain common to the coronavirus in general and can range from mild effects to more-serious illness.
They can include a cough, fever or chills, shortness of breath, fatigue, muscle or body aches, new loss of taste or smell, and headaches.
Vaccines and boosters still should be encouraged, as should safe social practices such as wearing face masks and keeping rooms well ventilated, health experts say.
since the pandemic began.
Here’s what we know.
What is the EG.5 coronavirus variant?
The EG.5 coronavirus is a subvariant and descendant of omicron — which remains the world’s most prevalent coronavirus strain.
EG.5 has narrowly surpassed other omicron descendants circulating in the United States and now accounts for the largest proportion of covid cases nationwide, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Twitter users and some media outlets have unofficially nicknamed the subvariant “Eris” in keeping with Greek nomenclature, but this name is not used officially by the WHO.
All viruses evolve and change over time. In its latest update, the WHO designated EG.5, which includes a similar EG.5.1 strain, as a variant of interest that countries should monitor. While EG.5 may fuel increases in cases, the WHO said it poses a low risk to public health in comparison with other omicron descendants because there is no evidence it is causing more-severe disease.
The virologist and researcher Stuart Turville, an associate professor at Sydney’s University of New South Wales, called the EG.5 variant “a little bit more slippery” and “competitive” than its counterparts, able to “navigate better the presence of antibodies” produced by vaccines.
Professor K. Srinath Reddy at the Public Health Foundation of India likened the subvariant to one of “several Barbies in the same film” — noting that it was essentially a variation of other omicron descendants.
EG.5 belongs to a family of subvariants “all within the overall umbrella of omicron,” he said in an interview. As with other omicron variants, it is “less invasive and lethal in the body” and “this still remains the general observation,” for EG.5, noted Reddy, a physician.
EG.5, although more infectious, is not more virulent, and the response to it is generally the same as for other variants because “the impact on the human body is just about the same,” he added.
What symptoms may be associated with EG.5?
The symptoms for this subvariant remain common to the coronavirus in general and can range from mild effects to more-serious illness.
They can include a cough, fever or chills, shortness of breath, fatigue, muscle or body aches, new loss of taste or smell, and headaches.
Vaccines and boosters still should be encouraged, as should safe social practices such as wearing face masks and keeping rooms well ventilated, health experts say.
“But we have to keep up our vigilance,” he added. “Covid-19 is still with us, but there’s no need to panic with this particular variant.”
Where is EG.5 being reported?
In the United States, the EG.5 variant — responsible for 17.3 percent of all coronavirus cases reported during the two-week period ending Aug. 5 — is the most prevalent in the country, according to the CDC tracker.
Elsewhere, cases of the subvariant EG.5.1 have been reported in countries including Britain, India and Thailand. EG.5.1 was first flagged for monitoring in early July, the UK Health Security Agency said, after reports of its surfacing in Asia. Nearly 12 percent of all samples sequenced in late July were classified as EG.5.1, the agency said.
“The COVID-19 virus has not gone away and we expect to see it circulating more widely over the winter months with the numbers of people getting ill increasing,” Mary Ramsay, the director of public health programs at the UK Health Security Agency said in a statement.
How dangerous might EG.5 be?
“There’s currently no evidence to suggest that it causes more-severe illness,” Andrea Garcia, the American Medical Association’s vice president for science, medicine and public health, said in late July. “And the CDC is indicating that it does appear to be susceptible to coronavirus vaccines, which is good news,” she added.
Will the new boosters work against EG.5?
In the United States, health officials are preparing this fall to administer booster doses of coronavirus vaccines made with a new formula targeting the XBB subvariants that have accounted for most infections in 2023.
The physician Eric Topol, a professor of molecular medicine at Scripps Research, said there is enough overlap between the different variants to believe that the new booster would protect people infected with EG.5 against severe disease. He said the updated boosters will be better aligned against the viruses circulating now than the current formula targeting the BA.5 subvariant that became dominant in summer 2022.
Is covid-19 still a big deal?
Many regions continue to report declines in illnesses and deaths linked to covid, the WHO said in its latest update. However, countries including South Korea, Brazil, Australia and New Zealand were among those having the highest number of reported cases in the past month. A lack of testing and reporting to the WHO also makes figures hard to monitor, the agency said.
People are less likely to become hospitalized or die of covid-19 as they develop immunity because of prior infections and vaccination, but experts caution that elderly people and the severely immunocompromised are at elevated risk because their bodies have a tougher time fighting off the virus.
Long covid, which can range from several weeks of mild symptoms to months of debilitation, continues to pose risk to otherwise healthy and vaccinated people. There is insufficient research on the best treatments. Studies have shown that 5 to 10 percent of people infected with coronavirus developed long covid symptoms, which have become less common with omicron variants. A Washington Post analysis of 5 million patients conducted in collaboration with research partners found that older adults and people with preexisting conditions including obesity and lung disease were more likely to report symptoms of long covid.
Although some people understandably want to put the pandemic behind them, Turville said, it’s a “virus we live with now,” like influenza, and does require regular monitoring.
“We are still working in the background, even if it’s not front-page news,” he added.
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