According to the latest estimates from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, EG.5 variant of COVID-19 is on the rise in the United States, accounting for approximately 17% of new coronavirus infections, compared to 16% for the next most prevalent lineage, XBB.1.16, according to CNN. The novel strain is a descendant of the Omicron family’s XBB recombinant strain. When compared to its parent XBB.1.9.2, EG.5 has one more mutation in its spike at position 465. This mutation has already been found in other coronavirus strains. Scientists are still unsure what the virus’s latest mutation allows it to do.
G.5.1, a new branch of EG.5, adds a second mutation to the spike
According to CNN, the 465 mutation is present in approximately 35% of coronavirus sequences identified worldwide, including one that is increasing in prevalence in the Northeast, FL.1.5.1, implying that it provides some form of evolutionary advantage over prior versions. EG.5.1, a new branch of EG.5, adds a second mutation to the spike. This one is also fast expanding. Dr. David Ho, professor of microbiology and immunology at Columbia University, has studied these mutations in his lab to discover how resistant they have evolved to the antibodies we have to defend against them.
In an email to CNN, he stated that “both are only slightly more resistant to neutralizing antibodies in the serum of infected and vaccinated persons.” Clinically, he noted, these varieties don’t appear to cause different or more severe symptoms than previous infections. “It basically has some more immune escape compared to the ones that were precedents in this XBB series,” said Dr. Eric Topol, a cardiologist at the Scripps Translational Research Institute. “It has an advantage, which is why it’s getting legs all around the world.” EG.5 is also rapidly expanding in Ireland, France, the United Kingdom, Japan, and China. The World Health Organization elevated its status from a variety under surveillance to a variant of interest on Wednesday, indicating that the agency believes it should be researched and examined further.