By Lee-Yandra Paulsen
Two newly identified strains of the Covid-19 virus have sparked concerns among the public, leaving them uncertain about the implications of these discoveries. Chief of Operations at the Western Cape Department of Health, Dr. Saadiq Karriem, addressed this issue during an interview with VOC Breakfast on Tuesday.
“The two new covid strains, people have been talking about are EG.5 (Eris) and BG2.86 (Pirola). The difference with these two new strains is that Pirola is more transmissible as it has more than 40 mutations on the spike protein and Eris has one mutation on the spike protein,” explained Dr. Karriem.
Dr. Karriem added that these mutations might contribute to an increase in Covid cases. However, he emphasized that neither of these strains has manifested severe symptoms thus far. Furthermore, he pointed out that hospitals have not experienced a significant influx of patients with these specific Covid strains.
“Many of the cases in hospital are there incidentally, so rather than being admitted for Covid symptoms they are there for other reasons but are routinely tested for Covid as a precaution,” stated Dr. Karriem.
In light of these developments, Dr. Karriem advised individuals who test positive for Covid to self-isolate. Moreover, if they exhibit flu-like symptoms, he recommended wearing masks, particularly in public settings or at their workplaces.
VOC News
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