(WXYZ) — A new coronavirus variant has taken the lead in the United States as cases and hospitalizations increase.
The variant EG.5 — nicknamed Eris — was recently added to the World Health Organization’s official monitoring list. It’s also gaining ground in the UK, France, Japan and China.
EG.5 is a descendant of omicron’s XBB strains. It has the same genetic makeup as XBB.1.9.2 but carries an additional mutation in the spike protein. That’s not great news because the spike protein is what the virus uses to enter human cells.
Having said that, there’s no evidence so far that suggests EG.5 is more transmissible or severe compared to other recent variants.
Still, we are seeing this strain gain ground. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, EG.5 makes up 17.3% of all COVID-19 infections. It’s also created its own offshoot called EG.5.1. This new version added a second change to the spike and is also spreading quickly.
Hospitalizations have risen by 12.5%, reaching a total of 9,056. The increase in cases could be due to a combination of factors linked to human behavior. The weather has been blazing hot in many places, forcing people to gather indoors away from the high temperatures.
Also, increased summer travel is helping the virus spread as people interact with others outside their social circles. Additionally, the reopening of schools in many states is providing plenty of opportunity for the virus to spread. Not to mention, there is waning immunity as it’s coming up a year that many Americans received the bivalent booster shot.
And speaking of immunity, the updated COVID-19 booster should be available this fall, pending approval from the Food and Drug Administration and CDC. The new monovalent shot targets the XBB variant, not EG.5.
However, there is data that shows variant-specific boosters can still have an impact overall. So, I expect it’ll provide strong protection against hospitalizations and death.
Now, I know many are tired of vaccines. But getting the booster is important, especially for the elderly or those with compromised immune systems as they are at more risk of developing severe COVID-19.
And while COVID-19 has not been causing as many deaths — in fact, we're seeing some of the lowest death rate numbers since the start of the pandemic — everyone needs to evaluate their own personal risk tolerance and make decisions based on those factors because we really don’t know for sure how the virus will behave once fall and winter arrive.
