WHO declares new EG.5 Covid strain as ‘Variant of Interest’. rightly heard.
The EG.5 coronavirus strain that is now circulating in the United States and China was categorized as a “variant of interest” by the World Health Organization on Wednesday. Despite this classification, the WHO stated that it did not appear to pose a greater hazard to public health than other variants.
The signs of this subvariant are the same as those of the coronavirus in general. Yes it can be mild or more severe.
It can include a cough, fever or chills, shortness of breath, tiredness, aches and pains in the muscles or other parts of the body, and a sudden loss of taste or smell.
WHO says that EG.5 can cause things like a runny nose, coughing, and a dry cough. He also said that because of natural changes and a lack of testing, it can be hard to tell an EG.5 infection from the flu or a cold.
WHO adds there are still people infected with the coronavirus. It has, however, decreased as a result of the development of effective immunizations and improved methods of social control.
According to the most recent data from the World Health Organization (WHO), there were over one million new cases of covid-19 and more than 3,100 deaths reported in the 28 days leading up to August 3. This brings the total number of deaths caused by the pandemic to almost 7 million since it first began.
The emergence of a new subvariant that has been given the name EG.5 and is quickly becoming the predominant strain in a number of nations.
Notably the United States and Britain, has sparked the interest of public health professionals all over the world.
Where is the EG.5 report being located?

According to the CDC tracker, the EG.5 variant is the most common form of the coronavirus in the United States. This variant was responsible for 17.3 percent of all coronavirus cases recorded during the two-week period that ended on August 5.

According to the CDC, roughly 12 percent of all cases that were reported during the preceding two weeks (ending July 22) were EG.5 infections. Additionally, XBB.1.16, often known as “Arcturus,” is still widespread in the United States, where it accounts for approximately 15.6 percent of recently reported cases.

In other parts of the world, incidences of the subvariant EG.5.1 have been reported in nations such as the United Kingdom, India, and Thailand. According to the UK Health Security Agency, EG.5.1 was initially flagged for monitoring at the beginning of July after there were reports of its appearance in Asia. According to the EPA, little under 1 in every 10 samples that were sequenced in late July fell into the EG.5.1 category.

“The COVID-19 virus has not gone away,” Mary Ramsay, the head of public health programs at the UK Health Security Agency, said in a statement. “We expect to see it circulating more widely over the winter months with the number of people getting sick increasing.”
So my piece of advice is “please don’t get panic” but at the same time be extra vigilant.