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

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

So far, cases associated with the new variant have been reported in the United Kingdom, the United States, and elsewhere, with the latest data from the UK Health Security Agency indicating that EG.5 accounts for about 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 makes up nearly 17.3%, or one in six, of new COVID-19 cases in the US over the past two weeks.

Dr. Isaac Bogoch, an infectious disease specialist at the University Health Network in Toronto, stated that he expects to see cases of EG.5 in Canada soon, if they aren’t already present.

During a press interview with CTV News, Bogoch mentioned that it is likely already present everywhere, and if it is not present currently, it will be soon.

He added that he anticipates that the presence of EG.5 will "likely" resemble what has been observed with other Omicron subvariants, as the latest variant has gradually become the most dominant sublineage 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 will see it wane and diminish in the community; of course, we have measures to detect it, and perhaps in August or sometime in September, we will start to see a similar rise in stagnant water signals in Canada."

As shown over the past few years, COVID-19 has an unequal impact on certain groups, Bogoch noted, adding that EG.5 will likely not be different.

He said, "As we saw during the Omicron era and even before the Omicron era, COVID-19 will disproportionately affect certain groups; unfortunately, we will likely see a corresponding rise in hospitalization, especially among those at higher risk of serious illness, such as the elderly and those with underlying health conditions."

Bogoch emphasized that some of the best defenses against COVID-19 have been and remain 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 titles only to variants of concern such as Delta and Omicron, and no longer for variants of interest or under monitoring.