What is the difference between a variant of interest and a variant of concern? What is the difference between a ‘mutation’ and a ‘variant’? NEW DELHI: The EG.5 strain of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which is currently circulating in various regions, including India, has been designated by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a "variant of interest." China has contributed the largest share of EG.5 sequences, accounting for 30.6 percent (2,247 sequences). The World Health Organization (WHO) maintains ongoing surveillance of numerous variants of interest to ascertain their potential progression into "variants of concern.

Source: Economic Times August 11, 2023 08:33 UTC