New research from the University of Insubria on the Eris variant, coordinated by Fabio Angeli of the University’s Department of Medicine and Technological Innovation, explains why infections and all the other indicators of the pandemic are increasing. The greater resistance to antibodies and the unchanged transmission and binding capacity to our cells of the EG.5 variant compared to the previous and feared Omicron variants would explain the increase in indicators (number of positive cases, occupancy rate of intensive care beds, deaths and swab positivity rate) also in our country (+43.4% positive cases, +44.6% deaths in the last week, compared to the previous one). The results also explain why this variant is becoming dominant (in Italy it is present in at least 40% of sequencing) and fade hopes that new variants (including Eris) may become less widespread over time.
The study was published today in the European Journal of Internal Medicine by a study group from the University of Insubria coordinated by Professor Fabio Angeli, professor of Cardiovascular Diseases of the Department of Medicine and Technological Innovation who signed the article with Martina Zappa, biotechnologist from Insubria, Andrea Andolina, infectious disease specialist from Ics Maugeri, and Paolo Verdecchia, cardiovascular researcher from Perugia.
After the World Health Organization designated EG.5 as a new SARS-CoV-2 variant “of concern” on August 9, researchers analyzed how much and how this variant has changed and what its contribution may be to the The increase in infections and hospitalization and mortality rates observed in recent weeks globally.
The study by the University of Insubria evaluated the effect of a particular mutation (F456L) which occurred at the level of the Spike protein of the virus, which would give this variant a greater ability to escape antibody defenses (generated both by previous infections and by vaccines). In particular, the authors of the study demonstrated that this new mutation causes EG.5 to maintain the same functional and transmission capabilities of the previous Omicron variants that have dominated the pandemic scenario in recent months. “Now more than ever – explains Angeli – it is important to continue studying and monitoring the spread of virus variants, also to direct future preventive strategies”.
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