Today, Tuesday, the Kuwaiti Ministry of Health confirmed the detection of an infection with the "EG5" mutant, which is one of the sub-mutants of the Omicron mutant of the Corona virus. Kuwaiti Health said, in a statement on its official account on the “X” platform, that it had detected a case infected with the “EG5” mutant, which was currently monitored in about 50 countries around the world.
The following are the highlights of the Kuwaiti Ministry of Health statement:
• Based on preliminary scientific data, there is no evidence that the new variant is more dangerous than other variants that were previously detected, but it has been noted that it is rapidly spreading in some regions around the world.
• The statement affirmed "the stability of the evaluation indicators of the health and clinical situation inside the country."
• The Ministry indicated that "the appearance of such mutants is expected and not a cause for concern, as mutations are among the basic features of viruses."
• The statement called for, in the event of any symptoms or signs of respiratory infection, the necessity of avoiding contact with others, and completing seasonal vaccinations related to infectious respiratory diseases, especially for groups with risk factors, and adhering to preventive measures for health practitioners and pioneers in therapeutic health institutions.
What do we know about the new mutant?
• This variant was identified for the first time in China last February, but it was first discovered in the United States in April.
• It is a strain of the "Omicron variant" known as (XBB.1.9.2), but it has a remarkable mutation that helps it escape from the antibodies developed by the immune system in response to previous mutants and vaccines.
• This new strain has become dominant around the world, and a major cause of the significant rise in coronavirus cases.
• On July 19, the World Health Organization added the "EG.5" mutant to its list of currently circulating strains under its control.
• According to the organization's data, vaccines that have proven effective in protecting against the "Omicron" strain are expected to provide a high degree of protection against the new sub-variant.
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