What Is ‘Eris’, the New COVID Variant? 

People sit at a community vaccination center , ahead of an expected border reopening with China, during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic in Hong Kong, China, January 4, 2023. (Reuters)
People sit at a community vaccination center , ahead of an expected border reopening with China, during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic in Hong Kong, China, January 4, 2023. (Reuters)
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What Is ‘Eris’, the New COVID Variant? 

People sit at a community vaccination center , ahead of an expected border reopening with China, during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic in Hong Kong, China, January 4, 2023. (Reuters)
People sit at a community vaccination center , ahead of an expected border reopening with China, during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic in Hong Kong, China, January 4, 2023. (Reuters)

COVID infections and hospitalizations are on the rise in the US, Europe and Asia. Health officials are pointing at the EG.5 "Eris" coronavirus, a subvariant of the Omicron lineage that originally emerged November of 2021.

What is the new ‘Eris’ variant?

The World Health Organization (WHO) classified EG.5, which has been nicknamed by some as "Eris", as a "variant of interest," indicating that it should be more closely watched than others because of mutations that might make it more contagious or severe.

Still, the WHO said at this time it does not seem to pose more of a threat to public health than other variants and that there "is no evidence of an increase in disease severity directly associated with EG.5."

How fast is ‘Eris’ spreading?

EG.5 had been found in more than 50 countries as of August 8, according to the WHO. It is the most common and fastest growing COVID-19 subvariant in the US, estimated to be responsible for around 17% of current COVID cases, according to the CDC.

COVID-19 related hospitalizations are up more than 40% off of recent lows hit in June, but are still more than 90% below peak levels hit during the January 2022 Omicron outbreak, according to CDC data.

The amount of virus identified in wastewater around the country and the number of weekly prescriptions for COVID treatment Paxlovid have all risen significantly over the past month, albeit from low levels.

When will the new booster be available?

Pfizer/BioNTech SE, Moderna and Novavax have all created new versions of their vaccines updated to target another Omicron sublineage - XBB.1.5 - to more closely resemble the various circulating strains of the virus.

EG.5 is similar to XBB.1.5 although the newer subvariant carries one mutation to its spike protein, the part of the virus targeted by the vaccine.

XBB.1.5 emerged in late 2022 and was still responsible for more than 10% of infections as of August 5, per CDC estimates. CDC Director Dr. Mandy Cohen said in a recent interview that she expects the new vaccines to be widely available in the US by the third or fourth week in September.

Cohen did not address the Eris variant specifically, but said "right now what we're seeing with the changes in the viruses, they're still susceptible to our vaccine, they're still susceptible to our medicines, they're still picked up by the tests. So all of our tools still work as the virus changes."



Croatia's Scientists Seek to Ward Off Threat to Posidonia Seagrass

Salema porgy swim near seagrass in the protected area of France's Porquerolles National Park ahead of the UN Ocean Conference on Friday, June 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Annika Hammerschlag)
Salema porgy swim near seagrass in the protected area of France's Porquerolles National Park ahead of the UN Ocean Conference on Friday, June 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Annika Hammerschlag)
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Croatia's Scientists Seek to Ward Off Threat to Posidonia Seagrass

Salema porgy swim near seagrass in the protected area of France's Porquerolles National Park ahead of the UN Ocean Conference on Friday, June 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Annika Hammerschlag)
Salema porgy swim near seagrass in the protected area of France's Porquerolles National Park ahead of the UN Ocean Conference on Friday, June 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Annika Hammerschlag)

At Croatia’s Dugi Otok island in the Adriatic Sea, scientists, demanding action to protect environmentally important meadows of seagrass, have been on a diving mission to assess the damage inflicted by human activity.

Named after Poseidon, the ancient Greek god of the sea, Posidonia oceanica, commonly known as Mediterranean tapeweed, provides food and shelter for fish, protects coasts from erosion, purifies sea water and can play a vital role in helping to tackle global warming.

A meadow of Posidonia can annually soak up to 15 times more carbon dioxide than a similar sized piece of the Amazon rainforest, scientific research has found.

But the scientists say much more needs to be done to protect it from tourist anchoring and from trawlers dragging fishing nets in the waters of the Adriatic Sea off Dugi Otok and the surrounding Kornati archipelago national park.

They have urged tougher regulations and fines for anyone breaching them.

Dominik Mihaljevic, a biologist at the national park, said the park had begun to install anchorages that would not harm the seagrass.

"Our ultimate goal is to completely prohibit anchoring at the 19 anchorage locations that are currently in use," Reuters quoted him as saying.

Matea Spika, a senior associate at Croatia’s Sunce environmental protection association, told Reuters Mediterranean Posidonia, endemic to the Mediterranean Sea, had declined by 30% in the last 30-to-40 years.

Apart from the issue of anchors and fishing nets, she said chemicals, excess nutrients from farms and cities, warmer waters due to climate change, and invasive species had caused further damage.

New ports and artificial beaches have also blocked sunlight essential for Posidonia’s growth.