A new COVID-19 variant is spreading in Quebec—here is the latest guidance
CTV
The latest variant of COVID-19 is making a growing appearance in Quebec. EG.5, also nicknamed ‘Eris,’ now represents the highest percentage of reported cases, according to Quebec’s public health institute (INSPQ).
The latest variant of COVID-19 is making a growing appearance in Quebec.
EG.5, also nicknamed ‘Eris,’ now represents the highest percentage of reported cases, according to Quebec’s public health institute (INSPQ).
The variant has been climbing steadily, representing 18 per cent of cases in Quebec, according to numbers from mid-July.
EG.5 is an offshoot of the XBB strain, part of the Omicron variant of COVID-19. It has spread across Canada and other parts of the world.
The WHO has declared it a variant of interest because some countries report it is more contagious than others. There is not yet enough data to determine if it causes severe respiratory tract disease.
MUHC infectious disease specialist Dr. Donald Vinh said the variant does respond to vaccines, but stressed the importance of having three shots, including one dose of the bivalent vaccine.
“The latest MNRA-based vaccines that we’ve used are bivalent, which means that they include the original strain with something in the BA family—so BA1 or BA5 depending on which vaccine you got,” he said.
