What's the difference between Eris and BA 2.86, new viral strains of COVID-19?

Dr. Kuldeep Kumar Grover, Head of Critical care, CK Birla Hospital, Gurugram says, "A shared characteristic among these variants is their mode of transmission through droplets. However, their distinct genetic sequence alterations result in varied behavior. Eris exhibits a notably high transmissibility rate on a global scale. In contrast, BA 2.86 presents several additional symptoms such as rashes, conjunctivitis, and diarrhea."

BA 2.86 presents several additional symptoms such as rashes, conjunctivitis, and diarrhea. Common symptoms associated with Eris infection include fever, cough, shortness of breath, fatigue, muscle aches, headache, loss of taste and smell, and sore throat.

"However, their distinct genetic sequence alterations result in varied behavior. Eris exhibits a notably high transmissibility rate on a global scale, and has additional symptoms like shortness of breath, cough, sore throat, may or may not be accompanied by fever, and fatigue," adds Dr. Grover.

Eris is detected and treated the same way as other variants. The BA2.86 variant has a larger number of mutations from other variants, particularly in the spike protein.

In response to these developments, both Pfizer and Moderna are in the process of enhancing their COVID vaccines to address these new strains. Importantly, this does not imply that the previously administered vaccines are ineffective, but their efficacy might be somewhat reduced. Thus, it is recommended to receive a booster dose of the COVID-19 vaccine if more than a year has passed since the last vaccination.

​BA.2.86 Subvariant Is Concerning: 4 Symptoms Of The New COVID Variant To Watch Out For​