The latest data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on August 5 showed that EG.5 is responsible for between 14-21% of new COVID-19 cases in the US. While that’s not a majority, it’s the largest among a slew of other Omicron subvariants, including the XBB.1.5 subvariant that dominated the US outbreak in the spring of 2023.
The WHO hasn’t given EG.5 an official name yet, either, but online users following an informal nomenclature have dubbed it “Eris,” named after the Greek goddess of strife and discord.
The Omicron variant and its many offspring have dominated the COVID-19 outbreak globally for nearly two years thanks to their ability to evade immune system defenses and reinfect people who’ve suffered prior infections or been vaccinated.
One virologist and researcher, Stuart Turville of the University of New South Wales in Australia, told the media EG.5 was “a little bit more slippery” and “competitive” than other Omicron subvariants and able to “navigate better the presence of antibodies” produced by vaccines or prior infections.
Pfizer, Moderna and Novavax are all preparing vaccine boosters that specifically target the XBB-series of Omicron subvariants, in accordance with a June directive by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). According to experts, EG.5 shares enough common characteristics with the XBB-series subvariants that the vaccines should be effective against it as well.
The FDA hasn’t yet approved any of the boosters, so it’s unclear when they’ll roll out, but health experts are advising Americans to receive them alongside influenza shots and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), two other highly contagious respiratory infections expected to make a comeback during the colder months.
However, the Biden administration has backed off nearly all social restrictions aimed at preventing the spread of COVID-19 or related viruses, including masking requirements in public settings, and an increasing number of employers are moving to end remote working and requiring workers to return to their offices.