The new Covid variant Eris that is driving a surge in cases in the UK and has also been found in the US was spotted in India months ago, an expert has claimed, adding that it has so far not shown any signs of a faster spread.
The EG.5.1 variant, commonly known as Eris, was first detected in India in the western state of Maharashtra in May, said Dr Rajesh Karyakarte, the state’s coordinator for genome sequencing and a senior scientist at Pune city’s BJ medical college.
