EG.5: New COVID variant hits the globe

The new coronavirus subvariant EG.5 is gaining more attention from public health experts and organizations worldwide as it becomes predominant everywhere.

According to WHO, more than 1 million new COVID-19 cases were reported globally in the 28 days that ended on August 3, and there were also more than 3,100 deaths, bringing the total number of deaths from the pandemic to 6.9 million. 

EG.5 has a low risk to the public's health because it is close to previously circulating forms. However, WHO warned that the subvariant could spread globally or in specific regions, leading to a rise in COVID-19 cases, Euronews reported. 

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, EG.5 has just barely exceeded other omicron descendants circulating in the US and is now responsible for the majority of COVID infections in the country.

The symptoms of this subvariant might range from minor side effects to more serious ones and are typical of the coronavirus in general. The symptoms include coughing, fever, shortness of breath, exhaustion, body aches, loss of taste or smell, and headaches. It can be challenging to distinguish an EG.5 infection from the flu or a normal cold due to seasonal variations and a lack of testing, the Washington Post reported.

WHO reported infections in 51 countries, including China, the Unites States, Korea, Japan, Canada, Australia, Singapore, the United Kingdom, France, Portugal, and Spain. 

Because immunity from vaccinations may fade more quickly as people age, the elderly may be particularly vulnerable to EG.5 or Eris. However, experts believe it is not of “significant concern,” according to the Washington Post. 

CNBC reported that new vaccines should be available by late September in the United States. EG.5 is a descendent strain of a variant that shares a spike amino acid profile with XBB.1.5. It is expected that the reformulated vaccines that will be available will offer better protection to EG.5 than previous vaccines.