In a remarkable move, the World Health Organization announced the classification of a new strain of coronavirus as a “strain that should be of interest,” after hundreds of thousands of cases were recorded in several countries over the past few weeks.
The new mutant is scientifically known as “EG5” or, as some experts have called it, “Iris”.
Globally, more than 1 million new cases of the virus and more than 3,100 deaths were reported in the 28 days to last Thursday, according to the latest report from the World Health Organization.
Thus, deaths from infection with the Coronavirus have risen to nearly seven million since the outbreak of the epidemic in China in late 2019.
The reason why the World Health Organization is concerned about the new mutant is because it has become a dominant strain in several countries, including the United States and Britain.
What is EG5?
The new mutant belongs to the “XBB” strain descended from the “Omicron” mutant, which is still at the forefront of the world’s most prevalent strains of coronavirus.
The World Health Organization confirms that available data do not indicate that the new strain poses a greater risk to public health than other strains currently circulating from Omicron.
Iris has his own variant known as EG.5.1, which is also rapidly spreading, according to viral health experts.
his symptoms
Symptoms of this sub-mutant are similar to those of the coronavirus in general and can range from mild to severe effects.
Symptoms can include cough, fever or chills, shortness of breath, fatigue, muscle or body aches, loss of smell and taste, and headache.
Experts confirm that “EG5” tends to cause symptoms such as runny nose, sneezing and dry cough, and therefore it is difficult to distinguish it from influenza or the common cold.
its dangerous
The new strain is transmitted more quickly than the rest of the Omicron mutants, as it has become the most common in the United States and the cause of more than 17 percent of infections and outbreaks across the country.
Although the World Health Organization believes that the new strain does not pose a great danger, it indicated that a more comprehensive assessment of the risks it poses is needed.
The new strain has also been detected in the United Kingdom, France, China, South Korea, Japan, Canada, Ireland and other countries.
Experts confirm that the new strain is slightly more resistant to neutralizing antibodies in previously infected people who have received the vaccine and booster doses.
Is covid still a big problem?
Health experts say governments should still encourage people to get vaccines and booster shots, as well as take precautions by wearing masks and ventilating indoor spaces well.
The elderly are more vulnerable to infection with the new strains, as their immunity from vaccination can wane more quickly.
In its latest update, the World Health Organization said many regions continue to report a decrease in cases requiring hospitalization or death.
And the organization stressed that the Corona virus “still poses a great threat” despite the declaration of the end of the international public health emergency on the fifth of last May.
2023-08-10 12:49:05
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