A new corona wave is currently rolling in. Because the new variant EG.5, also called “Eris”, is spreading more and more and should be able to escape our immune system a bit more easily.
However, experts are trying to calm things down: “In my opinion, EG.5 poses no particular danger,” said Richard Neher, head of the research group Evolution of Viruses and Bacteria at the Biozentrum of the University of Basel.
The EG.5 variant does have a mutation that may make it easier to escape the immune system. “But the same mutation can also be found in other variants,” explains Neher. “The variant is remarkable because it is common in China – and thus a large population – and has rapidly increased in frequency there in recent weeks.”
“We must certainly assume that at the end of the summer and after a phase with very low case numbers, the numbers will rise again,” said Neher. “But EG.5 is not fundamentally different from other variants, but shows a gradual – but rapid – evolution, as we have been observing for Sars-CoV-2 for some time.”
severity of the disease unchanged
According to current knowledge, the risk to public health posed by EG.5 is low, the World Health Organization (WHO) wrote a few days ago. It matches the risk of XBB.1.16 and some other variants currently in circulation. EG.5 spreads remarkably quickly and can escape the immune system with relative ease. The severity of the disease is unchanged compared to other current variants.
The spread of EG.5 has increased worldwide within four weeks since mid-June from 7.6 percent of reported corona cases to 17.4 percent (week 17-23 July), the WHO reports. Due to its rapid spread and greater immune flight, EG.5 may soon become the dominant variant in some countries or even worldwide. Within the EG.5 variant, the EG.5.1 subline is by far the most common. They have an additional mutation on the spike protein, which is important for cell entry.
Known since March
According to the Robert Koch Institute, EG.5 was first registered in Germany at the end of March 2023 and is currently spreading in Europe, particularly the subline EG.5.1. The Board agrees with the WHO’s statements about the danger. On Wednesday, WHO upgraded the EG.5 variant to the “virus variants of interest” category. There are currently three variants in this group: In addition to EG.5, there are XBB.1.5 and XBB.1.16.
Source: Krone
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