New cases of infection with a sub-variant of COVID-19 called “Eris” have been identified in India, Turanews.kz reports citing The Economic Times.
The sub-variant, also known as EG.5.1, is a descendant of the Omicron variant and was first discovered in March of this year. It was also identified in the UK last month.
So far, there have been only a few cases of Eris reported in India. However, scientists are concerned about the sub-variant’s ability to spread quickly and the potential for it to cause more severe illness than other COVID-19 variants.
“We have seen sporadic cases of Eris in India, but so far there is nothing to worry about,” a member of the Indian consortium for the genomics of the disease said.
“However, we are monitoring the situation closely and will take appropriate action if necessary.” he added.
The Ministry of Health of India has reported 54 new cases of COVID-19 in the country over the past day. The total number of active cases across the country has reached 1,574.
Anurag Agrawal, former head of the consortium and chairman of the WHO advisory group on the evolution of viruses, said that periodic increases in the number of COVID-19 cases are to be expected as immunity declines and new mutations develop that evade the body’s defenses.
“We need to be prepared for the possibility of another wave of COVID-19,” Agrawal said. “We need to continue to get vaccinated and boosted, and we need to wear masks in public places.”
