New fast-spreading COVID variant Eris
The World Health Organization has classified the COVID variant EG.5 a variant of interest. Also called Eris, it is a subvariant of the XBB strain of the Omicron variant.
As of now, EG.5 has been detected in 51 countries including the UK and the US, with cases doubling over the last month. According to the ZOE study, a health research project of British company Zoe Limited, the daily Covid contraction rate has surpassed 50,000 people, with Northern Ireland experiencing the fastest spread of the disease, followed by Scotland, Wales, the West Midlands, the South West, the North East and London. Here are some of the main symptoms of Eris:
Sore throat
The main symptoms of this rising subvariant are similar to previous Omicron symptoms. One such symptom is sore throat. If you have a sore throat due to COVID-19, you may experience pain or a feeling of thickness in your throat, especially when you swallow or talk. You may also feel a dry or scratchy feeling in your throat. One may also have redness or inflammation in the back of the throat.
Runny or blocked nose
COVID-19 can trigger inflammation of the membranes lining the nose and sinuses, which is an immune response. The inflamed cells cause the nose to make clear mucus to trap the virus and flush it out of the body. This leads to a runny nose. This symptom may be more common with Omicron than previous variants such as delta, because Omicron tends to live in the upper respiratory tract, which includes the nose, throat, and mouth. On the other hand, earlier variants were more likely to move into the lungs.
Sneezing
Another common symptom of Eris variant, sneezing is a forceful expulsion of air from the lungs through the nose and mouth. It is usually caused by foreign particles that irritate the nasal mucosa. Sneezing expels mucus containing foreign particles or irritants and cleanses the nasal cavity. Sneezes can spread diseases like COVID-19 through infectious aerosol droplets.
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Cough with or without phlegm
About two-thirds of coughs related to COVID-19 are dry coughs, according to research. This means that most coughs due to COVID are dry and without phlegm. If you have a dry cough, it’s often hard to stop coughing once you start. However, some people may sometimes cough up mucus with a COVID-19 infection.
Other symptoms of Eris
Apart from the above mentioned main symptoms, other signs of EG.5 variant include headache, hoarse voice, muscle aches and an altered sense of smell. Shortness of breath and a fever are no longer the main symptoms, according to reports.
New COVID vaccines are on the way
A new COVID vaccine is due out next month, but health experts and analysts say it is likely to be coolly received even as hospitalizations from "Eris", a variant of the Omicron form of the coronavirus, rise around the US, reported Reuters.
'Pre-COVID' phenomenon is being witnessed
Just as the world was heaving a sigh of relief from COVID, the emergence of the Eris variant has stirred a new panic. This variant, a mutant of Omicron, is spreading faster.
Amid rising COVID cases due to new variant Eris, a pattern of occurrence of COVID signs, where the signs were felt but the COVID test came to be negative, is being seen currently. This pattern was seen during the initial days of the pandemic as well, as per reports. This phenomenon is termed as pre-COVID and is one of the reasons why COVID spread faster earlier.
Read more: COVID : Symptoms of Eris variant appear a week before positive test, says report