A new variant of the coronavirus has emerged, serving as a reminder that the coronavirus continues to mutate and spread around the world, disproportionately affecting vulnerable populations. It is called the EG.5 variant, a descendant of Omicron.

The World Health Organization added EG.5 to its list of currently circulating variants under surveillance on July 19.

So far, cases linked to the new variant have been reported in the United Kingdom, the United States, and elsewhere, and the latest data from the UK Health Security Agency indicate that EG.5 accounts for approximately 14.6%, or one in seven, of all COVID-19 cases in the UK.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated that EG.5 represents nearly 17.3%, or one in six, of new COVID-19 cases in the United States over the past two weeks.

Dr. Isaac Bogoch, an infectious diseases specialist at the University Health Network in Toronto, stated that he expects to see EG.5 cases in Canada soon, if they are not already present.

Bogoch said during a press interview with CTV News that it is likely already present everywhere, and if it's not currently there, "it will be soon."

Bogoch added that he expects EG.5 to be "likely" present in a manner similar to what was observed with other subvariants of Omicron, as this latest variant has gradually become the most dominant strain worldwide.

He further stated, "We've seen BA.2, we've seen BA.4 and BA.5, we've seen XBB, and now it's EG.5, so the virus continues to mutate, and we'll see it ebb and flow in the community. Of course, we have measures to detect it, and perhaps in August or sometime in September, we'll start seeing a similar rise in wastewater signals in Canada."

As the past few years have shown, COVID-19 has a disproportionately negative impact on certain groups, Bogoch noted, adding that EG.5 is unlikely to be different.

He said, "As we've seen in the Omicron era and even before it, COVID-19 will disproportionately affect certain groups. Unfortunately, we will likely see a corresponding rise in hospitalizations, especially among those at higher risk for severe illness—these are older adults and people with underlying medical conditions."

Bogoch emphasized that some of the best defenses against COVID-19 have been and continue to be masks, vaccination, and good ventilation or indoor air quality, adding, "So we have the tools; we've known about this for years, and there's really nothing new."

EG.5 has been referred to as Eris by some, but the World Health Organization revised its coronavirus naming system earlier this year, deciding to assign Greek alphabet names only to variants of concern like Delta and Omicron, and no longer to variants of interest or those under monitoring.