While the majority of the world has eased COVID-19 restrictions, new variants still continue to come out. As such, the new Omicron subvariant EG.5 was estimated to make up 17.3% of new cases nationwide in the span of close to two weeks.
Omicron Subvariant XBB
According to Live Science, the EG.5 is a new subvariant of the coronavirus and was dubbed "Eris." Now, the subvariant is responsible for a huge chunk of US COVID-19 cases.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shared how EG.5 was responsible for 17.3% of new nationwide US cases. During the previous two-week period, the subvariant was responsible for 11.9% of nationwide cases.
However, the agency clarified that the percentages come from projection models because the clinical sample provided hard genetic data which wasn't fully processed. The recent projections showed how 15.6% of cases came from XBB.1.16, another omicron subvariant spinoff.
These projections were then followed by other omicron subvariants like the XBB.2.23, which made up 11.2% of cases, followed by XBB.1.5, which was responsible for 10.3% of COVID-19 cases. With the prevalence of four XBB variants, in recent cases, scientists are targetting its broader lineage with its upcoming COVID-19 booster shots.
EG.5 Splits From Other Branches
The EG.5 subvariant is unique from others due to how it splits from the original omicron family tree. As such, it has sprouted its own offshoots, with a version called EG.5.1, given the nickname Eris.
T. Ryan Gregory, a University of Guelph, Ontario, evolutionary biologist, posted the moniker on Twitter referencing the Eris dwarf planet. Eris is also the name for the goddess of discord and strife in Greco-Roman mythology.
The World Health Organization (WHO) categorizes EG.5 as currently being monitored, meaning there isn't enough reliable evidence of its effects. However, it's still believed to theoretically boost its transmissibility or virulence based on its genetics.
Like other COVID-19 subvariants, the EG.5 carries a specific spike protein; and in its case, this happens to be the S:5456L as noted by a University of Basel computational biology group, Neherlab, which is based in Switzerland.
The EG.5.1 omicron subvariant offshoot, otherwise known as Eris, carries another spike protein, the S:Q52H. As such, the protein could be the virus' "slightly beneficial mutation."
Evolved Subvariants
According to the Washington Post, Stuart Turville, a University of New South Wales Sydney associate professor, said the EG.5 can engage cells slightly better compared to other subvariants.
Dr. K. Srinath Reddy, a Public Health Foundation of India physician, shared how the virus didn't seem more lethal compared to other subvariants. It was suggested that global surveillance and reporting had declined, despite the virus continuing to circulate "every country" while remaining unchecked, according to Maria Van Kerkhove, the COVID-19 technical lead of WHO.
Kerkhove warns that despite death and hospital rates dwindling, the virus continues to circulate and it's important for countries to still surveil it's spread.
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