COVID cases surging again in Florida. Here's what you need to know about new variant, Eris

COVID-19 is making its summer comeback. And there's a new variant to learn the name of.

Cases began rising again nationwide in July, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), and during the week of July 23, hospitalizations in the U.S. rose 12.5%.

In Florida, the Florida Department of Health noted a jump in cases since the July 4 holiday. New data shows that COVID cases have risen from 5,607 new cases the week of May 12 to 9,942 the week of July 14, a 77% increase in the past 10 weeks. That's a lot like the surge Florida experienced last winter, but so far local doctors say the COVID-positive patients they have seen in recent weeks are not as sick as those they tended to during previous waves.

That could be a result of immunity granted by vaccines and previous infection, doctors said, along with the latest coronavirus strains being weaker than their ancestors. But Floridians should still take precautions.

This is happening as another new COVID-19 variant rapidly spreads through the U.S. and students in Florida return to school.

EG.5.1, nicknamed Eris, was added to the WHO SARS-CoV-2 variant monitoring list and is now the most prevalent variant in the U.S.

What is the COVID variant Eris?

Eris is an unofficial nickname given to EG.5.1, a subvariant of Omicron (B.1.1.529).

It was added to the WHO watch list as part of the EG.5 lineage. According to WHO's initial risk evaluation released Wednesday, the global prevalence of EG.5 was 17.4% the week of July 17, nearly a 129% increase from the previous period, but the global health risk was considered to be low.

In the two-week period ending in August 5, Eris was found to be the most prevalent variant of coronavirus in the U.S., accounting for 17.3% of cases.

EG.5 variants, descendants of the omicron variant that wreaked havoc in late 2021 and early 2022, are spreading quickly but "there have been no reported changes in disease severity to date," the report said.

T. Ryan Gregory, Professor of Integrative Biology at the University of Guelph in Ontario, Canada, began calling the variant Eris in posts on X, formerly Twitter.

However, experts say the current surge is more from summertime travel and people being driven inside by heat and storms than from a new variant, as well as a general relaxation of testing and caution.

Are COVID cases rising in Florida?

Yes. Much like the surges the Sunshine State has seen every summer since the pandemic began, COVID numbers have risen again. Sewage testing and regular COVID testing show an undeniable surge of infections since early July.

The state health department has said about 17% of COVID test results it collected statewide during the week ending July 20 came back positive. It found similar ratios in late July of both 2022 and 2021.

These numbers are almost certainly low, as more people are using at-home tests to diagnose their own infections, which rarely get reported. After the public health emergency was ended in May, many health surveillance systems were dismantled. The CDC data is several weeks out of date and no longer tracks infections.

Is the current COVID surge in Florida as dangerous as previous ones?

Dr. Dushyantha Jayaweera, an infectious disease specialist with the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, said the most common symptom he sees among today’s COVID patients is that they feel tired or have sniffles. During previous waves, though, they would be “fatigued, sweaty, clammy,” he said.

And patients during deadlier COVID waves would need high-flow nasal cannulas hooked into their noses to pump oxygen. “Rarely we use it now,” he said.

"The situation at the moment is nothing even close to where we have been," said Bill Hanage, who co-directs the Center for Communicable Disease Dynamics at Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health.

Most counties in Florida saw a rise in COVID-related hospital admissions by the end of July, according to the CDC, but the agency still rates the overall admission level as low.

However, taking precautions is still a good idea. There is still a chance of spreading COVID to someone with immunodeficiency issues, and while incidents of long COVID are down the latest effects can be debilitating.

Should I start wearing a mask again? Do I need a booster?

If you're traveling or attending heavily packed events you may want to bring out the mask again to avoid getting infected and help reduce the spread, and the CDC recommends anyone at higher risk for severe illness to wear masks when hospital admission levels rise.

Experts generally agree that people who are severely immunocompromised or are older ‒ above 65 or 70 ‒ should get vaccine boosters, probably at least twice a year if they are particularly fragile.

People who have been vaccinated and/or infected a few times are probably protected against severe infection and hospitalization, according to Bill Hanage, co-director of the Center for Communicable Disease Dynamics at Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health.

"This is the question for which we don't have great answers," Hanage said. Younger, otherwise healthy people "are not likely to get great benefit" from boosting. Hanage recommended that healthcare workers and teachers consider getting boosted to provide a little more protection.

Are booster shots still free?

So far. When the national public emergency declaration for COVID was ended, money earmarked to fight the spread of the virus was reduced. The federal government will no longer be buying vaccines to provide for free.

But most Americans will probably still be able to get COVID vaccines for free. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Americans will still be able to get COVID-19 vaccines at no cost for as long as the stockpiles last. When they're gone, COVID-19 vaccines and treatments will become like any other medical treatment, handled by the healthcare system, just as shots for the flu are now.

Starting this fall, the CDC plans to make the shots freely available to health centers and clinics known as Federally Qualified Healthcare Centers, which mostly serve uninsured people. You can find the one nearest you at findahealthcenter.hrsa.gov .

What are the symptoms of the new COVID variant Eris?

According to Zoe Health Study, an organization that monitors and estimates COVID cases in the U.K., Eris has similar symptoms to Omicron. The most common include:

• Runny or stuffy nose

• Headache

• Fatigue

• Sneezing

• Sore throat

• Coughing

• Changes to sense of smell

Is it the flu, a cold, or COVID-19? How to know, and when to get tested

Do vaccines stop the Eris COVID variant?

Current vaccines are effective at preventing serious illness from the latest strains, experts say, and a new one's on the way.

Pharmaceutical company Pfizer asked the Food and Drug Administration in June to authorize an updated version of its COVID vaccine, CEO Albert Bourla said Tuesday during an investor call, to target the virus' XBB.1.5 strain. EG.5 is a subvariant.

Updated shots could be available as soon as late August.

What to do if you test positive

If you believe you may have COVID or test positive, the CDC suggests several ways to treat the symptoms and stop the spread.

• Stay home and separate from others.

• Improve ventilation in your home.

• Mask with an N-95 or other high-quality mask when around other people.

• Keep up to date on COVID vaccines and boosters.

• Monitor symptoms and stay in touch with your healthcare provider.

• Take medications and treatments as prescribed.

• Rest and use over-the-counter medications to manage symptoms like headaches.

• Practice hygiene such as washing hands often and cleaning shared surfaces.

• Use their testing and treatment location tool to find resources in your area.

Contributors: Adrianna Rodriguez, Karen Weintraub, Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA TODAY; Chris Persaud, Palm Beach Post

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: New COVID variant Eris spreading as Florida's summer surge begins