President Joe Biden ended the public emergency of COVID-19 in the United States in May 2023, more than 3 years after the pandemic.
A new COVID variant called EG. 5 narrowly outperforms other variants in 2023 to the maximum, not unusual in the United States.
However, as the Washington Post reports, public health officials aren’t worried. Although EG. 5 appears to be more infectious, it is not virulent. Hospitalizations are expanding but remain near a traditionally low level. The moment part of September will save you from a serious illness.
The Centers for Disease Control estimates that the new variant accounts for about 17% of COVID cases in the U. S. In the US, 12% has accumulated in all strains since July 2023.
“At this time, there is no evidence that EG. 5 can spread more easily and, lately, remedies and vaccines continue to be effective in opposing this variant,” a CDC spokesperson told POLITICO.
POLITICO reported that the World Health Organization has not classified EG. 5 as a variant of interest or concern. Global hospitalizations have declined since January 2023, while expanding this summer in the United States.