The Eris and Pirola variants are becoming more and more widespread
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New strains of Covid-19 are causing concern among experts due to their high number of mutations in the spike protein. Gaining dominance in the UK, Eris, also known as EG.5.1, has an additional mutation (F456L) in the spike protein.
The other Omicron spin-off BA.2.86, dubbed Pirola, carries an extra 30 mutations compared to other previous dominant variants. The latest Government data suggests that Eris was responsible for the majority of cases in the country in September, while Pirola has caused only 37 cases so far, including an outbreak that infected almost every resident and member of staff at a care home in Norfolk.
Fortunately, a professor shared with Express.co.uk the “most prevalent” symptoms of these latest variants to spot. Dr Chris Papadopoulos, Principal Lecturer in Public Health at the University of Bedfordshire, explained that the severity of symptoms can vary depending on multiple factors, including your vaccination status.
Furthermore, your immune response and previous exposure to the virus could also dictate the severity of the symptoms you’ll experience.
However, the professor recommended looking out for the following key Covid signs: