What to know about EG.5, the latest Omicron subvariant in Canada
CBC
A new coronavirus subvariant on the rise in some parts of the world has also been circulating in Canada since at least May, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada.
While experts say this latest strain, EG.5, appears to be more infectious and able to sneak past our immune defences, there's also not much evidence to suggest that it causes more severe illness.
"It's something to certainly keep a close eye on, but I'm not significantly worried about it at this point," said Dr. Syra Madad, an epidemiologist at the Harvard Belfer Center.
EG.5 subvariants are predicted to have made up 36 per cent of cases in Canada between July 30 to Aug. 5, according to an email the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) shared with CBC News.
The agency also said it is aware of EG.5 being found 36 times in municipal wastewater between May 15 to July 21.
Last month, EG.5 was listed as a variant under monitoring by the World Health Organization (WHO) — though it is not considered a variant of concern or interest at this time.
Modelling data from the U.S. estimates that it has made up 17.3 per cent of all cases in the country over the last two weeks, making it the most common strain.
Currently, some parts of Canada are seeing a slight increase in COVID-19 cases, according to recent data.
Earlier this summer, most of the country's wastewater had some of the lowest levels of COVID-19 since analysis began in 2020.
But as of July 27, at least seven of the 39 sites tracked by Canada's COVID-19 wastewater surveillance dashboard have reported an increase.
In Ontario, for example, data shows that testing positivity has increased from about five per cent to nearly seven per cent within one month.
In recent weeks, the United States has also seen a jump in cases and hospitalizations.
But it's unclear whether the new variant is driving the uptick.
EG.5, is a subvariant of Omicron — which remains the most common version of the SARS-CoV-2 virus in Canada.
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