What to know about the EG.5 variant

The new variant is a reminder that COVID-19 still poses a risk to public health. The latest COVID-19 variant to make headlines, EG.5, is now the most prevalent variant in the U.S.—accounting for more than 17% of cases. Its high transmissibility and ability to evade immunity has virologists like Andrew Pekosz, PhD, professor in Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, following it closely. Here, Pekosz explains EG.5’s role in the mid-year spike in cases, what precautions to take to protect yourself, and why the new vaccine—set for release this fall—will offer better protection than previous versions. What is EG.5? EG.5 is a recent COVID variant very closely related to the XBB variants that have been circulating here in the U.S. for the past six months. Notably, it contains one particular mutation that is known to evade some of the immunity that you get after an infection or vaccination. What distinguishes it from other variants? Besides the [genetic] sequence...