COVID-19 Eris variant: the new Omicron subvariant strain Renato Tavares da Silva Neto, Tatiana Viola de Queiroz, Maria Fernanda Toffolli Castilho, Patricia Gorisch

Abstract

Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic caused by the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, the world has faced unprecedented challenges in various spheres of life, including public health, economics and social systems. The emergence of new variants only further complicates global efforts to control the pandemic. One of these new variants, identified and named Eris, has attracted considerable attention from both the scientific community and policy makers. This study seeks to understand the effectiveness of currently available COVID-19 vaccines against the Eris variant and how this effectiveness can impact the global management of the pandemic. In Brazil, in August 2023, we had the 1st. variant case. According to data from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the prevalence of EG.5 more than doubled from July/2023 to August/2023 in Europe and the USA. Given the emergence of the Eris variant of COVID-19 and the continued evolution of SARS-CoV-2, how effective are currently available COVID-19 vaccines against this new variant? And how might this effectiveness (or lack thereof) affect the progression of the pandemic, as well as global immunization strategies?