A NEW STRAIN OF Covid-19 called the Eris variant that has been seen across England is being tested for in Northern Ireland, but it has not yet been detected in the Republic of Ireland. 

Professor Christine Loscher, an expert in immunology at DCU, told The Journal that though the Eris variant hasn’t yet been detected in Ireland, it is highly likely that it is already in circulation here, and could be contributing to the current surge in case numbers. 

Eris, formally known as EG.5.1, is now the second most common variant of the virus in the UK, according to the Health Security Agency. 

The variant has also been rapidly spreading in the US, where it has gone from an estimated 11.9% of all Covid-19 cases in the two weeks leading up to 22 July, to 17.3% of all cases in the two weeks up to 5 August. 

Health officials in Northern Ireland are waiting to hear if a “small number” of people have tested positive for the Eris variant in the coming days. 

Prof. Loshcher said that while Eris does not appear to be causing a more serious level of illness, it’s possible that it is more transmissible, given how quickly it has spread. 

“It’s also possible that this variant has more mutations, and is more immune/ vaccine evasive.

“We are also seeing an increase in Covid cases in hospitals because people are travelling more in the summer, and because the weather has been bad of late so people are socialising indoors, and closing windows, which means there is less ventilation,” she added. 

The immunology expert said that the amount of time that has elapsed since most people had a vaccine or a booster is also a contributing factor to the current surge. 

“We know that the antibody levels that the vaccine provides start to wane after six months. So if people have pre-existing conditions, or other vulnerabilities, it is a good idea to avail of a vaccine booster,” Prof Loscher said. 

The Public Health Agency (PHA) of Northern Ireland said that the virus that causes Covid-19 is still in circulation and is constantly evolving, with new variants frequently arising. 

“Some of these can become dominant and could cause further waves of infection,” a PHA spokesperson said, adding that there is no evidence at present that any of these variants are causing increased transmissibility, or more serious infection. 

They further stated that there have been a small number of Eris variant cases identified. 

Confirmed cases in Irish hospitals this year.

Confirmed cases of Covid-19 in Irish hospitals have increased from 72 on 8 July to 378 as of today, 8 August. 

The current spike has meant that some hopsitals have had to make changes to their infection control measures. These include University Hospital Galway, University Hospital Kerry, and St Luke’s in Kilkenny, which has also suspended visitations apart from in maternity wards and exceptional circumstances. 

The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) General Secretary Phil Ní Sheaghdha said that now is the time for infection control measures to be assessed across the board ahead of “predictable winter infection surges”. 

“A dynamic infection control plan is needed across all hospital sites as airborne viruses will no doubt play a major factor in hospital overcrowding in the months ahead,” she added. 

Prof. Loscher said that one of the benefits of the high level of vaccine uptake in Ireland is that now, as opposed to when we were in crisis mode and had to impose unilateral measures, hospitals can review infection control measures on a case by case basis. 

“It isn’t just visitors going into hospitals, it is also people with appointments who may be more vulnerable to the virus. It’s a good idea to pay attention to infection control measures, and to wear a mask when you are entering healthcare settings where there has been an increase in Covid cases,” she said. 

The last report from Ireland’s Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) on Covid variants in Ireland was published on the 13 of July, at which time XBB.1.9.1 was the variant most responsible for the cases that were genomically sequenced. 

The two main symptoms of Eris, which is descendant from the Omicron variant, are a sore throat, and a runny nose, similar to other strains. 

Health authorities have been keeping track of Covid cases in the UK through the Zoe health study. 

The app shows 67,459 new symptomatic cases of Covid in the UK as of 6 August. This is based on PCR and LFT test data as of the last two days. 

Prof. Loscher said that the reason why the strain has been detected in the UK but hasn’t been identified in the Republic yet, is because they have better surveillance of the virus. 

“Ongoing surveillance of the virus is really crucial, because it helps us to be aware of the different levels of illness that variants are causing, and that allows us to take precautions and protect vulnerable people. 

“The Eris variant was detected in the UK at the end of July, because it has been monitored there, we know what to expect. In the future, it’s important that we are prepared if variants emerge which cause more serious illness, and have increased mutations,” she said. 

Eris is being monitored as another severe acute respiratory coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) by the World Health Organisation (WHO).