How Worried You Should Really Be About the New COVID Variant, According to Infectious Disease Experts

Beth Ann Mayer
·5 min read
73
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.

The summer of 2023 was supposed to be the summer of normal. Most people returned to big concerts (hello, historic Taylor Swift Eras Tour) and went out to blockbuster movies without considering social distancing or masking protocols at packed stadiums and movie theaters. Many of us learned to live with (and, in many cases, forget about, if we're being honest) the COVID-19 virus that had dominated social plans and our everyday lives since 2020.

So, news that the World Health Organization classified a new "variant of interest" called EG.5, nicknamed "Eris," and a surge in COVID-19 hospitalizations earlier this month may have been jarring.

"I think it's a reminder that COVID is still here," says Dr. Sharon Nachman, MD, the chief of the Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases at Stony Brook Children's Hospital. "With the talk about the EG.5 variant, and the fact that it seems to be more aggressive [or] more infectious, reminds us that we can catch it and be sick."

It's an important reminder, but how concerned should we be about the new COVID variant? Is there a vaccine targeting Eris, and how else can we protect ourselves?

While there's still much to learn about Eris, infectious disease experts understand people's heightened concern—so they answered as many questions as they could.

Related: The Most Common Symptoms of the New COVID Variant Eris

What Is the EG.5, or 'Eris,' Variant?

EG.5 is a subvariant of Omicron, which emerged in November 2021. "EG.5 has picked up an extra mutation in its spike protein," says Dr. Shirin Mazumder, MD, an infectious diseases physician with Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare. "EG.5 is very similar to other XBB variants circulating right now."

Dr. Mazumder says it's unclear where the subvariant originated. However, it was detected in China in February of 2023 and identified in the U.S. in April. According to the WHO, EG.5 has been detected in 51 countries as of Aug. 7.

All these variants and subvariants can get confusing. Nachman likens them to a game of telephone tag.

"The closer you are to the first speaker, the closer the message you get to that original message," Dr. Nachman says. "The further away, the more unrecognizable the message."

So, the Delta strain that emerged in the summer of 2021 was more similar to the original SARS-CoV-2 strain that spread in the late winter and early spring of 2020 than Eris.

"[Delta] was closer to that original strain or variant, and thus, when people got it, they were sicker," says Dr. Nachman. "The more recent variants are 20-plus steps away from that variant, so we hope to see less severe illness from it."

Unfortunately, that may not always be the case.

"That is not to say that in the future, a new variant that is 40 steps away from the original strain won't be a more infectious variant and again cause more of us to be sick or hospitalized," Dr. Nachman says.

Is EG.5 More Transmissible Than Previous Variants?

It's unclear. "But there are sufficient new mutations for us to watch this one with a careful eye," says Dr. Daniel M. Parker, Ph.D., an associate professor of population health & disease prevention at the University of California, Irvine.

According to the WHO, the global prevalence of EG.5 was 14 percent during the week of July 17-23, an uptick from the 7.6 percent global prevalence reported four weeks prior (June 18-25).

"EG.5 is very similar to other Omicron variants, which means that the transmission rate is high," Dr. Mazumder says. "There is a concern that EG.5 may have a competitive edge in terms of transmissibility, and this may be driving up numbers globally and one of the reasons why it is currently the dominant strain in the U.S."

Related: Jeff Bridges Shares Candid Perspective on Mortality After Cancer and COVID Battles

What Are the Symptoms of EG.5?

So far, the symptoms of EG.5 are similar to previous variants, Dr. Mazumder says. Symptoms include:

  • A sore throat

  • Runny nose

  • Sneezing

  • Congestion

  • Cough

  • Body Aches

  • Headaches

  • Fatigue

"Symptoms will vary from person to person," Dr. Mazumder says. "Just like with other variants, severe symptoms like shortness of breath can be serious and warrant an evaluation by a healthcare professional."

Related: A New Harvard Study Says Sticking to These 6 Habits Could Cut Your Long COVID Risk in Half

Does EG.5 Evade Vaccines?

We don't know, Drs. Parker and Mazumder say. However, good news may be on the horizon."The booster vaccine coming out in the fall [targets] the XBB variant," Dr. Nachman says. "It is a lot closer to the EG.5 variant, so the hope is that antibodies made after the vaccine will protect you from all of the variants that are a few steps different than the XBB variant."

Vaccinated or not, infectious disease experts still stress caution.

"This variant, as with others, should be treated with respect," Dr. Parker says. "Vaccination helps reduce the severity of infections, but it doesn’t mean that you cannot become ill and transmit the disease to others."

How To Protect Yourself and Others From the Eris Variant

"The usual things work best," Dr. Nachman explains.

These protocols include:

  • Hand washing

  • Covering your nose and mouth when you cough and sneeze

  • Wearing a mask if you are high risk and going into a crowded area

Patients can still test and reach out for treatment options if they get a positive result.

"Our current testing is still effective for detecting EG.5, and current anti-viral medication, such as Paxlovid, can still be used to treat EG.5 in high-risk patients," Dr. Mazumder says.

And, as always, lean on your healthcare team if you have concerns. "Seek advice from your primary care doctor," Dr. Nachman says. "They are the expert on your medical history."

Sources