BAGHDAD, Aug. 17 (Xinhua) -- The Iraqi Ministry of Health said on Thursday that no infection has been recorded in the country with the new coronavirus variant EG.5, also known as Eris.

The ministry's spokesman, Saif Al-Badr, told the official Iraqi News Agency (INA) that "no infection with the new variant has been recorded in Iraq so far."

Al-Badr said that the ministry, in coordination with international organizations, continues to update its information, diagnostic and therapeutic capabilities, while highlighting the ability of the ministry's laboratories to diagnose the new variant and other variants.

He said that the symptoms of the new COVID-19 variant are similar to those of the previous ones, calling on elderly citizens and those with chronic diseases to adhere to health-protective measures, including wearing masks, washing hands frequently and physical distancing. ■