EG.5 Variant Drives Covid-19 Surge in Cases and Hospitalizations
In the United States, a new coronavirus variant, EG.5, has risen to the top of the list.
According to the most recent estimates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, EG.5 is responsible for approximately 17% of new Covid-19 cases nationwide, compared to 16% for the next most prevalent lineage, XBB.1.16.
EG may sound like an entirely new variant of the virus, but it is actually a recombinant offshoot of the XBB strain of the Omicron family. As opposed to the original Omicron strain, this virus strain represents an incremental evolution rather than a significant evolutionary advance.
Compared to its progenitor XBB.1.9.2, its spike contains an additional mutation at position 465. This mutation has previously been observed in other coronavirus variants. Scientists do not know precisely what new abilities it grants the virus, but variant hunters are paying close attention because it has been adopted by many of the new XBB progeny.
The 465 mutation is found in approximately 35% of coronavirus sequences reported worldwide, including one whose prevalence is increasing in the Northeast, FL.1.5.1, indicating that it confers an evolutionary advantage over earlier variants.
EG.5.1 is an offshoot of EG.5 that incorporates a second mutation into the spike. This one is also rapidly expanding.
In his lab at Columbia University, Dr. David Ho has been evaluating the degree to which these variants have developed immunity to the antibodies we use to combat them.
“Both are only slightly more resistant to neutralizing antibodies in serum of infected and vaccinated persons,” Ho, a professor of microbiology and immunology, wrote in an email to CNN.
Clinically, he stated, it does not appear that these variants cause distinct or more severe symptoms than their predecessors.
Dr. Eric Topol, a cardiologist at the Scripps Translational Research Institute, remarked, “It basically has some more immune escape compared to the ones that were precedents in this XBB series.” “It has an advantage, which is why it’s getting legs all around the world.”
Beyond the United States, EG.5 is expanding rapidly in Ireland, France, the United Kingdom, Japan, and China. Recent addition to the World Health Organization’s list of Variants Under Monitoring.
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International Spread and WHO Monitoring of EG.5 Variant
Beyond the United States, EG.5 is expanding rapidly in Ireland, France, the United Kingdom, Japan, and China. Recent addition to the World Health Organization’s list of Variants Under Monitoring.
The variant has become the most prevalent in the United States at the same time that cases, emergency room visits, and hospitalizations are on the rise, but there is no evidence that this strain is responsible for those increases.
Instead, epidemiologists believe that human behavior is the cause of this increase. They point to factors such as record temperatures forcing more people indoors for air conditioning, which aids in the spread of the virus. People’s summer travels take them outside of their usual social circles, thereby exposing them to new viral hosts. In many regions of the country, school is also resuming, and as many parents know, homework is not the only item children bring home from school.
According to data from Biobot Analytics, the level of viruses detected in effluent in August is comparable to that of March.
Topol says this fall’s updated Covid-19 booster, which will be directed against the XBB variant, should be a very close match to the variants currently circulating, including EG.5, and he expects it to provide robust protection if regulatory agencies are able to distribute it in time.
Vaccine manufacturers anticipate that the updated doses will be available within a few weeks, but CDC Director Dr. Mandy Cohen estimates that the updated vaccine will not be available until October, given that it will require FDA approval and CDC recommendation.
That would be one month later than the availability of boosters last autumn.
Topol stated that the vaccine is especially essential for the elderly and those with compromised immune systems, as they no longer have effective monoclonal antibodies to assist in the event of a severe Covid-19 infection.
It is unclear why the procedure appears to be delayed this year compared to last. The FDA did not respond promptly to a query regarding the timeline for evaluating the fall vaccines.
Topol asserts that the United States cannot afford to delay the introduction of the Covid-19 vaccine. Following EG.5 will be a crop of variants with modifications that allow them to adhere to cells more securely, making them even more infectious.
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Source: CNN
