WHO Classifies Newly Detected COVID-19 Variant in US as 'Variant of Interest'

The World Health Organization classified, Wednesday, the newly circulated variant of Omicron in the US, and China as a "Variant of Interest."

The WHO didn't pose any more threat to public health than the other variants, although it was reported in 51 countries, including Japan, Uk, and South Korea.

The newly detected variant is widely spread in the United States and it caused more than 17% of cases.

WHO said: "Collectively, available evidence does not suggest that EG.5 has additional public health risks relative to the other currently circulating Omicron descendent lineages."

A more comprehensive evaluation of the risk posed by EG.5 was needed, it added.

Maria Van Kerkhove, the WHO's technical lead on COVID-19, said EG.5 increased transmissibility but it wasn't severe like Omicron.

She said: "We don't detect a change in severity of EG.5 compared to other sublineages of Omicron that have been in circulation since late 2021."

Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus asserted that many countries didn't report COVID-19 deaths.