Is it going to be a concern? EG.5 variant of Omicron: What you need to know | The Economic Times.
The EG.5 variant, a subtype of the Omicron variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, has been causing a surge in cases globally and has been present in India since May 2023. Despite its classification as a “variant of interest” by the World Health Organization, the Indian government has stated that it hasn’t posed a significant concern for public health in the country. Dr. NK ARORA of the government’s COVID Advisory Task Group affirmed the variant hasn’t led to an upsurge in cases or hospitalizations during its three-month presence in India.
Dr. Akshay Budhraja, a Senior Consultant in Respiratory and Sleep Medicine, noted that the EG.5 variant is more transmissible than previous strains and might evade immunity, leading to increased infections and potentially higher mortality and morbidity rates if not controlled. The importance of COVID-appropriate behavior and testing when experiencing flu-like symptoms was emphasized.
Dr. Rajeev Jayadevan from the National Indian Medical Association Covid Task Force explained that Covid-19 will continue to come in waves because of immunity fluctuations and lapses in precautions. He highlighted two spike mutations in EG.5.1, F456L and Q52H, which could contribute to immune evasion and their prominence among variants. I mentioned wastewater surveillance as a useful method for early wave detection in the absence of widespread testing. Despite relatively low COVID cases, maintaining surveillance for more severe variants was advised. As of August 11, India reported 1,505 active COVID-19 cases.
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