A new strain of coronavirus, named EG.5, accounted for about 5 percent of Covid infections detected in Finland during the month of June, according to the results of genomic sequencing analysis carried out by public health authority THL.
The EG.5 variant is very closely related to the XBB recombinant strain of the Omicron family, and has gained the nickname "Eris" in the international press after the Greek goddess of strife and discord. Reports of the spread of the new strain have been especially prominent in China and the United States.
Earlier this week, the World Health Organization (WHO) classified the strain as a "variant of interest" but, according to news agency Reuters, it does not appear to pose any more of a threat to public health than other variants currently circulating.
US news outlet CNN reported that EG.5 is the cause of about 17 percent of new Covid cases in the country, more than any other variant, with the WHO's latest weekly epidemiological report noting that Covid-related hospitalisations in the US have risen sharply.
However, THL researcher Erika Lindh told Yle it is important to note that a significant rise in the number of EG.5 cases has not been observed in areas where hospitalisations have increased.
"So far, there is no indication that the [EG.5] variant causes more severe disease than other XBB subvariants. However, it is possible that its ability to evade immunity is slightly elevated," Lindh said.
She further added that the circulation of the new variant is being effectively mitigated by the high vaccination rate of the Finnish population, but a new round of booster jabs for at-risk groups may be rolled out in the autumn.
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