Egypt confirms first cases of new coronavirus variant EG.5

CAIRO, Aug 23: Egypt reported Tuesday the country's first two cases of new coronavirus variant EG.5.

Both cases show slight symptoms, the Ministry of Health said in a statement, recommending a booster dose of COVID-19 vaccine as a precaution.

Test results from a monitoring system enrolled by 450 hospitals across Egypt for respiratory diseases confirmed the two cases, said the ministry.

EG.5 is a sublineage of the omicron variant, and its first case was reported in February. On Aug. 9, the World Health Organization classified EG.5 as a "variant of interest."