New Covid ‘Eris’ facts that are blowing up cases in the UK

Jakarta, Klinik Farma – A new variant of the Covid-19 virus is spreading again. This comes just months after many countries, including Indonesia, declared the end of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The new variant is called EG.5.1 or “Eris”. This variant has spread in the UK since the end of July 2023 and has resulted in an increase in hospital admissions.

The following are the facts regarding the Eris variant, collected Klinik Farma from various sources on Monday (07/08/2023).

This is being watched

The World Health Organization (WHO) has listed Eridu as part of a controlled option or variant under supervision (BELONGING). This has been done since July.

The move came after the prevalence of the Eris variant continued to grow in the UK and some other countries such as Asia. Eris dominated 20% of Asian sequences, 10% of European sequences, and 7% of North American sequences.

Raised in the UK and Japan

See data coronavirus.data.gov.ukthe number of positive cases in England jumped by 27.8% or about 887 in seven days between 23 and 29 July 2023. Data from the UK Health Security Agency or UKHSA also show numbers. percentage of positive results rose to 5.4% last week, from 3.7% earlier.

“We continue to monitor the increase in the number of cases this week. We are indeed seeing an increase in the number of patients in hospitals, especially among older patients,” UKHSA head of immunization Dr Mary Ramsay said, quoted by the Daily Mail.

Elsewhere in the world, Japan is the country outside the United Kingdom with the highest number of cases of the Eris variant. The number of cases is also reported to have increased.

Faster spread?

Professor Lawrence Young of the University of Warwick explained that the Eris variant is spreading faster. This is especially noticeable in the Asian region.

However, so far, the Eris variant has not proven to be more deadly than the other variants. “The increase in cases in the UK is more due to the weakening of the immunity of citizens,” Young said.

Meanwhile, Griffith University Australia epidemiologist Dicky Budiman said the ability to spread the variant continues to increase from 1:10 to 1:7. Dicky explained that so far no Eris variant has been reported to increase severity or mortality.

However, he recalled that the appearance of the Eris variant shows that the Omicron variant, with all its derivatives, continues to appear. “So far, they have not caused serious threats in terms of severity or death, although there have been many cases,” Dickey said. Klinik Farma.

Laugh who

Meanwhile, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stressed the importance of the role of public authorities, although, on the other hand, the public was protected either with a Covid-19 vaccine or with the help of those who were previously infected.

Tedros told state governments to support facilities that were built for Covid-19 earlier. Including not disassembling it.

“And we are calling on governments to support, not dismantle, the systems they have built for Covid-19,” Tedros explained.

Tedros also urged people at high risk to continue wearing masks in public. In addition, they are also advised to give additional or booster injections if they are advised.

“The WHO continues to recommend that people in high-risk groups wear masks in public places, receive a booster dose if necessary, and ensure adequate indoor ventilation,” he said.

Possible deployment in RI

So far, the Indonesian government has not announced the discovery of the Eria variant. However, Dicky added that the potential for distribution in Indonesia is very high. This is due to the fact that the mobility of citizens around the world has returned to normal.

“Under the conditions of ordinary flights and travels, at least in 1-2 weeks you can go somewhere,” he repeated.

However, he recalled that currently available vaccines still have proven effective in reducing severity or mortality. He just hopes that people will continue to increase protection, such as wearing masks.

“The good news is that vaccines are still effective, but protection still needs to be strengthened, especially for at-risk groups,” he added.

The head of the Bureau of Communications and Public Services of the Ministry of Health (Kemenkes) City, Nadia Tarmizi, said that so far the government has not found an Eris option to enter the country.

“So far, this has not been reported,” Nadia told Siti. Klinik Farma.

[Gambas:Video CNBC]