CDC Finds EG.5 Variant Dominates New COVID-19 Infections in US

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has projected the EG.5 variant to have caused 17.3 percent of COVID-19 cases nationwide as of Friday, more than any other group, up from 7.5 percent through the first week of July. EG.5 includes a strain with a subgroup of variants designated as EG.5.1, unofficially nicknamed “Eris.” The next most common COVID variants are XBB.1.16 at 15.6 percent, XBB.2.23 at 11.2 percent and XBB.1.5 at 10.3 percent. Officials have noted that the symptoms and severity from the strain have been largely alike, though they said discerning changes in the virus has become increasingly difficult as surveillance has slowed, CBS News reported.