Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that the WHO (World Health Organization) is keeping track of several coronavirus varieties, including the one spreading in the U.S. and U.K., called EG.5. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that the variation causes 17% of new Covid-19 cases in the country, compared to 16% for the next most frequent lineage, XBB.1.16. The XBB Omicron family recombinant strain produced the novel variety.
Tedros said. “The risk remains of a more dangerous variant emerging, which could cause a sudden increase in cases and deaths,”, adding that the FDA is conducting a risk assessment study. In comparison to XBB.1.9.2, EG.5 has one spike mutation at position 465. This mutation can also be seen in other coronavirus types. The ramifications of the virus’s new mutation are unclear to experts.
The 465 mutation is found in around 35% of coronavirus sequences globally, including FL.1.5.1, which is spreading in the Northeast, showing that it has an evolutionary advantage over prior variants. EG.5.1 adds a second spike mutation to EG.5. Also spreading fast.
Dr. David Ho, a Columbia University microbiology and immunology professor, is examining these mutations to discover how resistant they are to our antibodies. “Both are only slightly more resistant to neutralizing antibodies in the serum of infected and vaccinated persons,” Ho told CNN in an email.
He stated these variations do not appear to cause distinct or worse symptoms than previous viruses. “It basically has some more immune escape compared to the ones that were precedents in this XBB series,” said Scripps Translational Research Institute cardiologist Dr. Eric Topol.
It’s spreading globally because it offers an edge. Ireland, France, the UK, Japan, and China also have fast-growing EG.5.
Its status has changed from variant under monitoring to variant of interest, indicating the WHO wants to watch and study it.
Conclusion:-
The World Health Organization (WHO) is monitoring several coronavirus varieties, including the one spreading in the US and UK, EG.5. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that EG.5 causes 17% of new Covid-19 cases, compared to 16% for the most frequent lineage, XBB.1.16. The XBB Omicron family recombinant strain produced the novel variety. The risk of a more dangerous variant emerging remains, and the agency is issuing a risk appraisal study. EG.5 contains a spike mutation at location 465, which is found in around 35% of coronavirus sequences globally. The virus’s effects remain unknown to scientists. Columbia University microbiology and immunology professor Dr. David Ho is examining these mutations to determine their resistance to antibodies. Both EG.5 and EG.5.1 are slightly more resistant to neutralizing antibodies in the serum of infected and vaccinated persons. The virus is spreading globally because it offers an edge, and its status has changed from variant under monitoring to variant of interest.
