'Eris' or EG.5.1.1: Maharashtra records single case of new COVID-19 Omicron subvariant

The Eris variant is said to be the most dominant in the United States and makes up the largest proportion of new COVID-19 infections, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

However, officials believe it's not as bad as previous subvariants which caused large spikes in cases. COVID-19 hospitalisations are on the rise in the US which reported a 12 percent hike in hospital admissions in a week, coming to about  9,056 as of July 29.

“There are a couple that we’re watching, but we’re not seeing anything like delta or omicron,” Cristin Young, an epidemiologist at Biobot Analytics, the CDC's wastewater surveillance contractor, said, referencing variants that fueled previous surges.

And mutations in the virus don't necessarily make it more dangerous.

“Just because we have a new subvariant doesn’t mean that we are destined to have an increase in bad outcomes," Dowdy said.

In the US, updated coronavirus vaccines that contain one version of the omicron strain called XBB.1.5, are likely to be rolled out before the end of the year. It’s an important change from today’s combination shots, which mix the original coronavirus strain with last year’s most common omicron variants.

However, itt's not clear exactly when people can start rolling up their sleeves for what officials hope is an annual fall COVID-19 shot.

Maharashtra's Babita Kamlapurkar also emphasised the importance of maintaining COVID-19-appropriate behaviour, particularly during the months of June, July and August, which historically witness an upswing in case numbers.

"There is no reason to worry. The Centre has also said it has been continuously monitoring the variant and there is no need to worry," she confirmed.

Kamlapurkar reiterated that regular surveillance of COVID-19 variants remains an ongoing practice.