Maharashtra witnessing spike in Covid Eris variant that's spreading rapidly in UK

In a worrying indicator, Maharashtra is witnessing signs of an increase in Covid cases after a prolonged period of decline, coinciding with the detection of a new Omicron subvariant - EG.5.1 (Eris)- within the state, marking its first appearance in India.

Dr. Rajesh Karyakarte, Maharashtra's coordinator for genome sequencing and a senior scientist at Pune's BJ Medical College, informed TOI that EG.5.1 was identified in May. However, there has been no significant surge in Covid cases in June and July, with XBB.1.16 and XBB.2.3 still being the dominant subvariants.

According to state health department data, the number of active cases rose from 70 at the end of July to 115 on August 6, with a case count of 109 on Monday.


The newly identified Omicron subvariant, EG.5.1, has raised concerns in the UK, leading to a health alert due to its rapid proliferation. In India, it belongs to the Omicron XBB.1.9 sub-strain, which has not been prevalent so far. However, authorities are closely monitoring hospital admissions as a precautionary measure.

Mumbai currently has the highest number of active cases in the state at 43, followed by Pune with 34 and Thane with 25. Other regions, including Raigad, Sangli, Solapur, Satara, and Palghar, have one active case each.

Officials are cautious about immediately classifying this as a significant increase in cases, emphasizing the need for a week of observation to draw conclusions. Traditionally, respiratory infections tend to surge from June to September, and there has been a slight rise in Covid cases over the past three to four days.

Healthcare professionals report an increase in patients with flu-like symptoms, many of whom have tested positive for rhinovirus, influenza, H1N1, H3N2, and Covid. While there have been some positive Covid-19 cases reported in hospitals, there has been no notable surge in hospitalizations, ICU cases, or deaths, offering reassurance to the public. However, experts stress the importance of ongoing vigilance to stay ahead of any potential developments.