Health authorities in Kuwait have officially announced the detection of the latest variant of Covid-19 within the country. Identified as the Eg.5 subvariant of the Omicron variant, this strain has been rapidly circulating in the United States and the United Kingdom since May. While the health risk associated with this new strain is currently assessed as low, its rapid transmission is raising concerns of a potential surge in infections.

The Kuwaiti Ministry of Health issued a statement via social media , confirming the presence of the Eg.5 subvariant in the country. However, officials reassured citizens that there is no immediate cause for alarm. As a precautionary measure, the ministry advised individuals experiencing symptoms of the virus to immediately isolate themselves and avoid contact with others. This approach aims to curb the rate of transmission and prevent further spread.

In their statement, the ministry highlighted that preliminary scientific data does not indicate that the Eg.5 subvariant is more dangerous than previously detected variants. While acknowledging the variant's rapid spread in specific global regions, health and clinical evaluation indicators within Kuwait remain stable. Authorities emphasized that the emergence of such mutations is to be expected and should not be a source of undue panic.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has classified the Eg.5 mutation as a "variant of interest." However, as of now, there are no indications that it possesses any new capabilities for causing severe illness. Despite this, the variant has already been reported in 51 countries.