According to estimates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the EG.5 variant is now the most prevalent cause of new COVID-19 infections in the United States. Several areas of the country have recently reported an increase in cases after months of decline.
As of Friday, EG.5 accounted for 17.3% of COVID-19 cases nationwide, surpassing all other variants. This represents a significant increase from its 7.5% proportion in early July. The next most common variants are XBB.1.16 at 15.6%, XBB.2.23 at 11.2%, and XBB.1.5 at 10.3%. The CDC has also identified new spinoffs of the XBB strain, such as FL.1.5.1, which now makes up 8.6% of new cases.
Within the EG.5 lineage, there is a subgroup of variants referred to as EG.5.1 or “Eris” by biologist T. Ryan Gregory. This particular variant is gaining momentum globally, thanks to a mutation that offers it a slight advantage over other versions of the virus.
These variants, including EG.5, are all descendants of the XBB strain. As a result, the upcoming COVID-19 vaccines for the fall will be redesigned to provide protection against these strains.
Public health officials have noted that the symptoms and severity of these variants are largely similar. However, monitoring and sequencing the virus has become more challenging, and it remains crucial to maintain surveillance efforts to track its evolution.
The CDC recently announced a shift in its variant estimation schedule from weekly to biweekly updates to gather more data and enhance projections.
Unfortunately, the CDC was unable to publish its “Nowcast” projections for EG.5 and other variants in all regions due to limited sequence data. Only California, Georgia, and New York had enough sequences to produce updated estimates. The decrease in published sequences in recent weeks has hindered accurate predictions, with fewer than 2,000 sequences available compared to previously tens of thousands per week.
Despite these limitations, the CDC continues to use the available data to create aggregated national nowcast estimates.
In summary, the EG.5 variant is now the most dominant source of new COVID-19 infections in the United States. Its prevalence, along with other variants, underscores the ongoing threat of the virus. Monitoring and sequencing efforts remain crucial for effective public health responses.
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