Health experts have moved to allay fears around the new Covid-19 variant, EG.5 or Eris.
On Wednesday, the first case of the new variant was confirmed in South Africa. Department spokesperson, Foster Mohale, confirmed to IOL that the first sample taken in Gauteng tested positive for the new strain.
However, speaking to EWN, Professor Ramneek Ahluwalia of Higher Health said there is no need to panic.
He said the current data, which has been sourced from North America and China, does not show any signs of this variant being more contagious or lethal compared to previous variants.
"The EG.5 is a sub-variant of Omicron, which caused the fourth wave in SA. Omicron has been mutating quite rapidly, forming different types of sub-variants," he explained.
Ahluwalia stated that at this moment there is no need to panic as it is not highly infectious.
"People living with comorbidities like hypertension, diabetes, and cancer or who are older need to be careful," he said.
Ahluwalia added that while there are people in hospital, there is early treatment.
He said other countries have shown an increase in hospitalisations, such as China and America; however, there has not been an increase in deaths.
This, Ahluwalia said, shows that mechanisms set in place since Covid-19 have worked and are still working.
He urged communities to continue taking vaccines, as they hold immunity against the sub-variants.
IOL