Kazakhstan reports first cases of Eris COVID-19 variant
According to Health Minister Azhar Giniyat, several cases of Eris, a subvariant of the Omicron COVID-19 variant were reported in Kazakhstan.
Where have new Omicron subvariants been identified? As the minister said, coronavirus is mutating and circulating throughout Kazakhstan. The last genetic surveys showed that the new COVID-19 variant Eris emerged in the country.
«All variants of Omicron cause mild symptoms. So far, there are 35 people in hospitals. These are elderly with concurrent diseases,» Giniyat said.
Does the country possess enough vaccines? According to the health minister, Kazakhstan possesses enough PCR tests and vaccines produced by Chinese and American pharmaceutical companies.
«We have PCR tests in our labs, so health specialists can use them if needed. We also have 215,000 doses of American and Chinese vaccines. People can get a vaccine if they want and when it is prescribed by doctors. The World Health Organization is currently working on relevant recommendations. If they would recommend conducting a nationwide vaccination campaign, we will do so,» she said.
The context. On September 25, social media reported on a massive wave of COVID-19 Delta variant cases in Kazakhstan. This information allegedly cited the health ministry by saying that the new virus was very dangerous and had no symptoms. However, on September 27, the country’s Ministry of Health said that it didn’t identify new Omicron subvariants called Eris and Pirol.
Earlier last month, Kursiv reported that the number of COVID-19 cases in neighboring Russia increased by 50%. Some Russian public agencies even imposed sanitary restrictions and demanded people to wear face masks, while the government of Moscow reopened its hospital for patients contracted with COVID.
