Russia records 17 cases of new EG.5 coronavirus variant since April

Russia has recorded 17 cases of the new EG.5 coronavirus variant since April, authorities said on Thursday.

In a statement, the Federal Service for Surveillance on Consumer Rights Protection and Human Wellbeing said that the new strain was detected in the capital Moscow, the Moscow region, the city of St. Petersburg, the Magadan and Irkutsk regions, the Krasnodar Territory and the republics of Buryatia and Khakassia.

According to the sanitary service, the new strain "has not yet become widespread."

The World Health Organization (WHO) has designated Eris, or EG.5, as a variant of interest." The variant was first detected in February this year.

The EG.5 variant has already been detected in 51 countries, including China and the U.S.

The variant may spread globally and contribute to a surge in case incidence due to its genetic features, immune escape characteristics, and growth rate estimates, the WHO said.