EG.5.1: The New COVID Variant's Edge Over Current Immunity

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Highlights:

• EG.5.1 variant can better evade the neutralizing antibodies, offering it an advantage in infecting vaccinated or previously infected individuals
• Despite its antibody-evading ability, EG.5.1 is not more infectious than previous SARS-CoV-2 strains
• The increase in EG.5.1's ability to escape antibodies isn't sufficient to completely bypass immunity established through vaccination or prior infection

EG.5.1, the new COVID-19 variant, is not more infectious than the previous variants, implying that it cannot infect host cells more successfully (1^✔). According to a study published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases journal, the EG.5.1 variant of SARS-CoV-2 can escape neutralizing antibodies better than other currently circulating strains, providing it an edge in infecting vaccinated or previously infected persons.

Rise of EG.5.1 and Its Implications

The researchers discovered, however, that the rise in the ability to escape antibodies is relatively moderate and by no means sufficient to entirely impair our hybrid immunity. Researchers from the German Primate Center in Gottingen, Germany, participated in the study of the Eris sublineage EG.5.1.

‘Breaking down the EG.5.1 COVID variant: Better at evading antibodies but not necessarily more infectious. Stay informed, stay protected. #covidvariant #eg51explained’

They discovered that EG.5.1 is not more infectious than its predecessors, implying that it cannot more efficiently infect host cells.

EG.5.1's Superiority in Evading Immunity

EG.5.1, on the other hand, can evade immunization better than other currently circulating SARS-CoV-2 lineages, providing it an edge in infecting people whose immune systems have created neutralising antibodies following vaccination or infection, according to the researchers.

A portion of our immune defense is based on neutralizing antibodies produced by immune system cells following vaccination or infection. These antibodies bind to the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, preventing the virus from entering human cells. This mechanism is also known as neutralisation.

Since May of this year, EG.5, as well as its descendent EG.5.1, has been on the increase in several countries. The lineage is also known as Eris and is categorized as a "Variant of Interest" by the World Health Organization (WHO). The study discovered evidence that a greater ability to evade antibodies is the likely source of Eris's increased spread.

EG.5.1's Neutralization and Impacts on Immunity

"We found that, in comparison to other currently circulating SARS-CoV-2 lineages, EG.5.1 does not possess an advantage in infecting host cells," said Lu Zhang, the lead author of the study. "However, further investigations revealed that EG.5.1 is less effectively neutralised by antibodies present in the blood of vaccinated individuals or vaccinated and infected individuals," Zhang said.

For safety reasons, the studies were carried out with viruses created in the laboratory, known as pseudoviruses.

"In summary, our results suggest that the spread of EG.5 and its sublineages primarily relies on antibody escape rather than an enhanced ability to infect host cells," said Markus Hoffmann, lead scientist in the study. "However, the increase in the ability to escape antibodies is rather moderate and by no means sufficient to completely undermine our immunity that has been established through vaccination or prior infection," Hoffmann added.

Reference:

1. Editorial: A Rapid Global Increase in COVID-19 is Due to the Emergence of the EG.5 (Eris) Subvariant of Omicron SARS-CoV-2 - (https:pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37654205/)

Source: Medindia

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