Is new COVID variant ERIS adding another layer to the bygone COVID-19 public health emergency?

The EG5.1/ERIS variant was first detected in India in May but it is not the dominant variant currently, XBB.1.16 and XBB.2.3 are still dominating. EG5.1 is more transmissible than previous variants. It is not yet clear whether it is more severe, but some studies have shown that it may be associated with an increased risk of hospitalisation.