Key Takeaways
- The new coronavirus variant EG.5 was identified in an infant in Tunis, the first case in the country.
- The case was confirmed after genome sequencing at Charles Nicolle Hospital, and the child is now stable and discharged.
- The World Health Organization classifies EG.5 as a low‑risk “variant of interest,” indicating limited public‑health impact.
Tunis: Tunisia has detected the country’s first case of new coronavirus variant EG.5, said a Tunisian official on Tuesday.
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, citing Hechmi Louzir, a member of Tunisia’s Scientific Committee to Combat Coronavirus.
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.
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 Aug. 9, the World Health Organization designated it as a “variant of interest,” but meanwhile noted that the variant poses a low risk to public health.
