New Covid variant EG.5.1 on the rise... EG.5.1 Nicknamed ‘Eris’ Is New Covid-19 Variant Spreading, Monitored By WHO https://www.forbes.com/sites/brucelee/2023/08/06/eg51-nicknamed-eris-is-new-covid-19-variant-spreading-monitored-by-who/?sh=6b98ffbf5941 It does appear to be somehow more transmissible than previous variants given the fact that it has been spreading. The EG.5.1 has effectively become the “Eris” to the throne of most dominant SARS-CoV-2 variant. The U.K. Health Security Agency estimated that as of July 20, the EG.5.1 variant comprised and estimated 14.55% of all Covid-19 cases and has been growing at a 20.51% rate per week in the U.K. In the U.S., the EG.5 variants have gone from an estimated 11.9% of all Covid-19 cases during the two-week period ending July 22 up to 17.3% during the two-week period ending August 5, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Covid-19 Data Tracker. It’s now the most prevalent variant in the U.S., having surpassed the XBB.1.16. At the same time, various Covid-19 measures across the U.S. have been trending upwards. The CDC Covid-19 Data Tracker indicated that Covid-19 hospitalizations were up 12.1% in the week ending July 22. And the presence of the virus in wastewater samples around the country has increased as well.