How deadly is Eris, the new COVID variant spreading in the UK?

After a few months of calm, a new COVID-19 strain has appeared in the United Kingdom and is spreading quickly, raising alarms about the devastating pandemic that killed millions of people worldwide over three years ago. The EG.5.1 variant, code-named Eris, was discovered for the first time in the British nation last month, reported news agency PTI. However, it currently accounts for one in seven new coronavirus cases. But what exactly is the Eris variant? How deadly is it? Let’s take a closer look. Also read: Why is US seeing a surge of COVID hospitalisations? Eris – The new COVID-19 variant The Eris variant, which bears the name of the Greek goddess of strife and discord, is a descendant of the quickly spreading Omicron, reported Business Today. In comparison to other strains, it has demonstrated a notable growth advantage. According to UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), it is currently the second most common variation in the UK, following the Arcturus XBB.1.16 variant, which accounts for almost half of all infection cases with a 39.4 per cent prevalence. However, not only has it recently been found in the UK, but also in a number of other countries in Europe, Asia, and North America. There is currently a “ninth wave” of the virus in Japan, according to Republic World. Eris was first flagged as a signal in monitoring on 3 July, according to the country’s Health Security Agency, as a result of a rise in reports globally, mainly from Asia. According to data as of 27 July, 11.8 per cent of UK sequences in the week starting July 10 had been designated as Eris. According to the most recent data, the cases of the new variant now account for 14.6 per cent of all cases. The UKHSA said in a report, “COVID-19 case rates continued to increase this week compared to our previous report. 5.4 per cent of 4,396 respiratory specimens reported through the Respiratory DataMart System were identified as COVID-19. This is compared to 3.7 per cent of 4,403 from the previous report.” Also read: WHO says COVID-19 emergency is over: What does this decision mean? Symptoms According to the Zoe Health Study, which calculates statistics on UK COVID infections, the most common symptoms of the COVID variant are:

1. Runny nose
2. Headache
3. Fatigue (mild or severe)
4. Sneezing
5. Sore throat

It spreads quickly UKHSA chiefs claim it has already a 20.5 per cent growth advantage, reported Business Today. Despite this, experts underline that there is currently no data to support the notion that Eris is more harmful or causes more severe disease than earlier forms. EG.5.1 has been added to the group of variations being watched by the World Health Organization (WHO). The Zoe Health Study reports that expected numbers for COVID cases increased by about 200,000 in the previous month, from 606,656 predicted cases on 4 July to 785,980 on 27 July. Also read: Why junior doctors in UK are on longest-ever strike in NHS history The cause of rising cases Experts agree that severe weather has a significant impact on the current increase in coronavirus cases, even though the underlying cause is still unknown. “We continue to see a rise in COVID-19 cases in this week’s report. We have also seen a small rise in hospital admission rates in most age groups, particularly among the elderly. Overall levels of admission still remain extremely low and we are not currently seeing a similar increase in ICU admission,” said Dr Mary Ramsay, UKHSA’s Head of Immunisation, according to NDTV. Officials claim they are “closely” monitoring the situation. Although vaccinations and prior infection provide better protection for people, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned that nations should not relax their security measures. “WHO continues to advise people at high risk to wear a mask in crowded places, to get boosters when recommended, and to ensure adequate ventilation indoors, And we urge governments to maintain and not dismantle the systems they built for COVID-19,’’ Ghebreyesus was quoted as saying by Sky News. Also read: BMC COVID-19 centres case: ED arrests businessman Sujit Patkar, friend of Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut Expert opinion Omicron subvariants – Arcturus, and Eris, declining immunity, and unfavourable weather, according to independent Sage member Prof Christina Pagel, are “definitely starting another wave” in the UK. She told The Independent, “The wet weather over the last few weeks probably isn’t helping either as it keeps people inside.” However, there is a possibility that the spread of the variant may slow down over the summer holidays with schools closed and people travelling abroad. “It is likely to be dominant by September when kids return to school and adults to work or university, plus we start spending much more time inside,” the COVID expert said. She believes “most people are now over 18 months out from their last vaccine” and “most people are several months out from their last infection too.” Thus, the wave may “grow faster” in September. However, Imperial College London’s head of primary care and public health, Professor Azeem Majeed, downplayed the concerns with the Eris variant. “I don’t feel that people should be unduly worried by the recent increase in COVID-19 cases. Case numbers will fluctuate and there will be periods when the number of cases in the UK increases,” he told The Independent, adding that EG.5.1 is an Omicron variant that first surfaced in the UK around the end of 2021, and according to WHO, EG.5 is a variant under monitoring (VUM) but not a variant of concern (VOC). “This means we need to continue to monitor EG.5.1 to see what impact it has on outcomes such as the number of infections, hospital admissions and deaths,” he added. According to Wion News, Prof. Rowland Kao, an epidemiologist at the University of Edinburgh, stressed the deterioration in surveillance even further. He said, “With seasonal flu, we have of course a certain amount of predictability with the many years of data. However, with Covid, now that we don’t have those multiple data streams to rely on, it’s harder to say what is happening (in the general population)." With inputs from agencies