Another COVID-19 variant has surfaced called Eris. EG.5.1 or Eris which was first identified in May has been raising the number of COVID cases in the United Kingdom and currently, 1 out of 10 Covid cases in the UK are due to this latest strain.

Right now, this new variant is not currently listed as a “variant of concern”. According to a report by the Hindustan Times, Eris has been contributing to hospitalization cases in the UK albeit mostly among the elderly.

Experts opine that there is a need to keep a close eye on this new strain which is of Omicron lineage and spreads faster than the original Covid-19 virus. However, there is no reason to believe that EG.5.1 is deadlier than the previous strain. The rise in cases could be due to waning immunity from previous infections or vaccinations and it’s important to take booster shots to build up a defence against the virus. -The Hindustan Times

“As seasons are changing and Covid virus continues to spread, newer variants continue to emerge worldwide. One of the recent variants that has been identified is Eris variant which has recognized to be come out of UK where it has been known to cause 1 in 10 of the Covid cases. This is showing an increase in number of cases in UK, with a somewhat higher levels of hospitalization for people who are seniors even if they are vaccinated. So, it is something which we need to keep an eye on. This is strain of the Omicron variant which itself was significantly mutated compared to the original Covid-19 virus that came in 2019,” says Dr Pavithra Venkatagopalan, corona-virologist and Covid awareness specialist at Rotary Club of Madras NextGen.

Dr Pavithra says that there are a few symptoms to Eris that are oddly similar to the common cold.

• Running nose
• Sneezing
• Cough
• Fever
• Fatigue (mild or severe depending on the person’s composition)

The mainstream media has been pushing this variant, but they making a big deal about it just yet.