New COVID 19 variant of interest EG.5 may spread globally: WHO
There has been a steady increase in this variant’s prevalence. As of 7 August 2023, over 7000 sequences have been shared from 51 countries
New Delhi: The World Health Organization (WHO) designated new EG.5 as the coronavirus variant of interest. In a post shared on social media platform X (formerly Twitter) WHO mentioned that formerly a variant under monitoring, WHO has now designated this a variant of interest.
There has been a steady increase in this variant’s prevalence. As of 7 August 2023, over 7000 sequences have been shared from 51 countries, the Health Organization also said.
Based on the available evidence, the public health risk posed by EG.5 is evaluated as low at the global level, similar to the risk of other current Covid 19 variants of interest.
Based on its characteristics, EG.5 may spread globally & cause a surge in cases, WHO also wrote in the tweet.
Ms Kalinga