The first case of COVID-19 variant EG.5, or Eris, has been confirmed by the National Department of Health in South Africa, local media reported.
The case was confirmed in a sample in the province of Gauteng, the department confirmed, against the backdrop of an increase in COVID infections and hospitalizations in the US, Europe, and Asia.
The WHO suggested that the Eris variant won't be alarming, despite the fact that it can cause an increase in infections.
Eris has the same symptoms as other COVID-19 variants, such as fever, cough, shortness of breath, fatigue, muscle aches, sore throat, and headache.
Andrea Garcia, the American Medical Association's vice president for science, medicine, and public health, told US media last month that EG.5 doesn’t seem to cause an infection worse than the prior Omicron subvariants and may be more susceptible to newer COVID-19 vaccines, including those expected to be rolled out by pharmaceutical companies in the coming months.
South Africans have been urged by the Health Department to get vaccinated, according to the media.
Data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on August 5 showed that EG.5 is responsible for between 14-21% of new COVID-19 cases in the US. While that’s not a majority, it’s the largest among a slew of other Omicron subvariants, including the XBB.1.5 subvariant that dominated the US outbreak in the spring of 2023.