The recently emerged Covid-19 sub-variant known as Eris, which has raised concerns in the UK, has been identified in India, Economic Times reports.
Despite its detection, no notable clustering or surge in cases has been observed. The Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (Insacog), a nationwide network of labs established to monitor genomic changes in the virus, held a review session last week in response to the increased Covid-19 infections in the UK linked to this new variant, also referred to as EG.5.1.
An Insacog member highlighted that there have been isolated instances of Eris in India, yet there is no immediate cause for alarm, based on available data. The prevailing dominant variant in the country continues to be the XBB sub-variant, accounting for approximately 90-92% of cases.
EG.5.1, originating from the rapidly spreading Omicron, was first detected in the UK the previous month and is now disseminating in India.
The Insacog member noted that as of now, no unusual trends have been identified within the country. Regular evaluations of the Covid-19 situation are ongoing, with frequent meetings held by Insacog. The detection and monitoring mechanisms for new variants and sub-variants have proven effective, offering encouraging news in this regard.
Recent data from the health ministry indicates 54 new Covid-19 infections as of August 08, 12:44 AM IST, contributing to a total of 1,574 active cases. Anurag Agrawal, former head of Insacog and chair of the World Health Organization's Technical Advisory Group on Virus Evolution, explained that periodic increases in cases could be expected as immunity wanes and new immune-evading mutations emerge. However, he stressed that severe case surges are unlikely in the near future.
Agrawal further pointed out that while ongoing vigilance is crucial due to the possibility of novel variants, the current situation doesn't warrant a fourth vaccine dose, especially given the significant decline in Covid cases in India.
In July, the country reported merely 23 cases, marking the lowest daily infection count since March 2020. Certain countries are adopting bivalent Covid-19 vaccines that target both the original virus and the newer Omicron variant.
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