Should we be worried about Eris, the new variant of the coronavirus?

Here is an unexpected guest for the end of the summer holidays, the coronavirus! A new variant of SARS-CoV-2, nicknamed ErisEris, has just entered the list of variants to be monitored, kept by the WHO. The scientific name of Eris is EG.5 and it is related to variant XBB.1.9.2.3, a member of the large family OmicronOmicron. While Eris accounts for a significant share of newly diagnosed Covid-19 cases in the United States, China and the United Kingdom, it does not induce more severe symptoms than previous variants.

The Eris variant already in the majority in France?

According to the latest analysis emerging variants published by Public Health France last June, the XBB.1.9 and XBB.1.5 variants are the majority in France. Among the XBB.1.9 variants, the experts have identified about thirty sub-variants including EG.1, very close to EG.5 which is not yet mentioned in the report.

According to the work of Mike Honey, a data scientist from the University of Melbourne, the EG.5 variant was a dazzling success from mid-July to account for almost 35% of new cases by July 23. This analysis is based on data transmitted to Gisaid, which collects epidemiological data on SARS-CoV-2 variants from all over the world. ” It will surely cause a wavewave of cases and all the problems that brings, like more hospitalizations and long Covid, but there is no reason to think at the moment that this wave will be worse than the previous ones this year », explained Christina Pagel, scientist at theUniversity College of London along the lines of the Guardian.