Tunisia detects first case of new COVID-19 variant EG.5

Louzir mentioned that the infant, who is now in stable condition, has been discharged from the hospital, and there have been no reports of infections among the hospital staff or the infant's family members.

Tunis: Tunisia has detected the country’s first case of new coronavirus variant EG.5, said a Tunisian official.

The infection was found in an infant following genome sequencing at Charles Nicolle Hospital in the capital Tunis, the official news agency Tunis Afrique Presse reported on Tuesday, citing Hechmi Louzir, a member of Tunisia’s Scientific Committee to Combat Coronavirus.

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Louzir said the infant, in stable condition, has been discharged from the hospital, adding that no infections were reported among the hospital staff or the infant’s family members, Xinhua news agency reported.

He assured that the new coronavirus variant, which is less contagious, would not be a threat to public health compared to other variants that have significantly affected the country’s healthcare system.

EG.5 is a sub-variant of Omicron XBB.1.9.2. and the first EG.5-related case was reported in February.

On August 9, the World Health Organisation designated it as a “variant of interest,” but meanwhile noted that the variant poses a low risk to public health.