Researcher and virologist Prof Tulio de Oliviera says there is no need to panic amid reports of a "new" Covid-19 variant. De Oliviera says EG.5 is a lineage of the Omicron variant and is nothing new. SA Medical Association chairperson Dr Mvuyisi Mzukwa says Omicron EG.5 has a high transmission rate. Omicron EG.5 has been nicknamed "Eris", which has caused people to think it is a new strain and caused unnecessary panic. He said the Omicron EG.5 was more transmissible but did not show more severe symptoms.

Source: News 24 August 15, 2023 05:28 UTC