As Covid cases rise and mask-wearing is recommended even at home, a top health official has reassured that the new variant ‘Eris’ is not more likely to cause severe infections. Dr. Scott Gottlieb, former commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, explained that while the strain EG.5 has mutations that allow it to bypass immunity from vaccines and past infections, it is not significantly different from previous Omicron strains in terms of causing severe illness, hospitalizations, or deaths.
Speaking on CNBC’s Squawk Box, Dr. Gottlieb stated, “There’s nothing to suggest that this particular strain [EG.5] circulating in the United States right now is more pathogenic than prior variants. So, people who are vaccinated with prior variants and who have had the infection before should have some residual immunity against this.”
He clarified, “But this is an Omicron subvariant that doesn’t appear to be that much different in terms of its pathogenicity than the prior Omicron variants.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), EG.5, which is currently responsible for one in five infections in the US, may actually be behind half of the cases due to a lag in data. Dr. Gottlieb expressed concern about a potential resurgence of Covid in the South, where there has been an uptick in ER visits related to the virus.
Dr. Gottlieb did not mention the BA.X variant, which has caused alarm and calls for mask-wearing. While only three cases have been detected in Israel and Denmark, experts believe it may already be present in the US. Dr. Gottlieb emphasized the importance of staying up to date with Covid vaccines and receiving booster shots in the fall.
EG.5 is known for its rapid spread but is considered mild and not posing a greater public health threat than other variants, as stated by the World Health Organization (WHO). Although classified as a “variant of interest” by the WHO due to its fast spread, there is currently no evidence suggesting additional risks compared to other Omicron descendant lineages. Further evaluation is needed to assess the risk posed by EG.5.
Recent data from the CDC shows a 14% increase in hospitalizations compared to the previous week, with 10,300 admissions per week. However, hospitalizations remain significantly lower than the peak of 44,000 per week in January. Covid deaths have remained stable at around 500 per week, or less than 70 per day across the US.
Experts theorize that waning immunity and the emergence of variants that can evade current vaccines or natural immunity may contribute to these trends. Limited testing and delayed strain detection make it challenging to determine the prevalence of new strains accurately.
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