Omicron variant Eris sparks concerns, puts UK on Covid alert

Health authorities in the United Kingdom have flagged concerns of a significant spread of a new Covid variant Eris (EG.1.5). Derived from the Omicron strain, the EG.1.5 variant now constitutes 14.6% of total Covid cases in the region, making it the second most prevalent form of the virus, as per official health data.

What is new Covid variant Eris?

According to UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), originally identified as a signal on July 3, 2023, amid increasing international reports, especially in Asia, the EG.1.5 variant was upgraded from a signal to a designated variant (V-23JUL-01) on July 31, 2023, due to the growing number of genomes in UK data and its continued global expansion.

Starting from the week of July 10, one out of every nine cases was attributed to this variant. Recent data indicate that its prevalence has escalated to 14.6% of cases, making it the second most widespread variant in the UK. The variant's rapid spread might be contributing to the recent surge in cases and hospitalisations, as reported by Sky News.

Covid cases in the UK

COVID-19 surveillance data up to the end of week 30 indicates a continued rise in case rates compared to the previous report. Of 4,396 respiratory specimens in the Respiratory DataMart System, 5.4% tested positive for Covid-19, compared to 3.7% in the previous report, the UKHSA noted.

The overall hospital admission rate for Covid-19 in week 30 rose to 1.97 per 1,00,000 population, an increase from 1.17 per 1,00,000 in the previous report. However, ICU admission rates decreased to 0.05 from 0.07 in the previous report, it added.

The elderly, particularly those aged 85 years and above, witnessed higher hospital admission rates, increasing to 20.49 per 100,000 from 9.8 per 100,000 in the previous report. Among those aged 75 to 84 years, admission rates rose to 9.45 per 100,000 from 5.54 in the previous report.

What do health experts say on UK Covid rise?

“In this week’s report, we continue to observe a rise in COVID-19 cases. There has also been a slight increase in hospital admission rates across most age groups, particularly among the elderly. While overall admission levels remain extremely low and ICU admissions are not exhibiting a similar surge, we will maintain close monitoring of these rates,” said Dr Mary Ramsay, Head of Immunisation at the UKHSA.

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