Quebec’s Health Minister says the province is closely monitoring a new COVID variant, but that no major changes are needed to your behaviour.
A new vaccination campaign will also arrive in the coming months to combat the EG.5 variant, also known as Eris.
“We are following that very closely. Dr. Luc Boileau and public health will take a position with Quebec’s immunization committee over the next two weeks,” said health minister Christian Dubé.
The new strain is a subvariant of omicron, and according to wastewater data it’s been on the rise for the past month or so.
“It seems to be more transmissible than the previous strain, probably about 20% or so, according to unpublished estimates,” said Dr. Donald Vinh, an expert on infectious diseases at McGill University.
Experts are not sounding the alarm with anywhere near as much urgency as they did in the early days of the pandemic.
“Even though we’re seeing an increase in COVID-related hospitalizations now, we are nowhere near the impact that we had on our health-care system in the first few days, about three years ago,” Vinh said.
Doctors say the new variant is not any more dangerous than previous ones, and the health minister isn’t recommending any behaviour changes.
“I think we have learned to live with this virus, but I think we need to be prudent also,” Dubé said in Quebec City.
The Health Minister says Quebec will deploy a new vaccination campaign against Eris this fall.
“We’re just trying to finalize with those experts, who should be vaccinated and when and what are the exceptions,” he explained.
Vinh recommends getting the new shot.
“I would think that it’s a good idea for people to get, especially those who are high risk,” he said.
He wishes, however, that it would arrive sooner.
“Unfortunately, the timing isn’t great because that will be probably around October or November. but the COVID activity is going on now,” said Vinh.
Dubé reminds you to isolate if you’re feeling sick, because it could be COVID.
On the bright side, most people will already have some built-in immunity.
“If you have been vaccinated or if in addition you have contracted the disease, these two conditions already protect you,” said Dubé.
Vinh says back to school will increase transmission of COVID and other respiratory viruses, and the pressure on our fragile health system will increase. However he predicts it’ll be nothing like the horror of a few years ago.