Variant EG.5, nicknamed “Eris,” is the new dominant strain of COVID-19 in the U.S., according to the CDC. Per a CDC report, recent upticks in COVID cases are largely due to this newest subvariant.

EG.5 is another off-shoot of the Omicron variant of Covid. According to the WHO, it was first seen in February 2023 and cases have been increasing steadily.

EG.5 has been circulating in Canada since at least May, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC). The subvariant and its offshoots are predicted to have made up 36 per cent of cases ...