The variant is called EG.5 and is a descendant of Omicron.

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention estimated that EG.5 accounted for roughly 17.3 per cent — or one in six — of new COVID-19 cases in the U.S. in the past two weeks.

  • Cyborganism
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    10 months ago

    I dunno if we need to worry in Canada. There’s been almost no deaths al associated with COVID in a while now. Worst case, people get hospitalised but that’s it. We’ve built a pretty good social immunity thanks to vaccination.

    It’s the other countries who don’t have our resources that are more at risk. We need to send them vaccines so the can immunize themselves properly.

    • BedSharkPal
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      10 months ago

      I mean there’s plenty to worry about besides death. I don’t understand why people discount all the other potentially life altering effects of COVID.

      • Cyborganism
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        10 months ago

        Ah yes, you’re right. There are potential lifetime effects to COVID. I forgot about those. A couple of friends of mine have been permanently affected with various problems like asthma since catching it.

        • Reliant1087@lemmy.world
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          10 months ago

          You know I really wish I hadn’t caught COVID at some point and lost the ability to sleep properly at some point.

            • starlinguk@kbin.social
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              10 months ago

              Welcome to long covid, where your body has adrenaline attacks at random points in the middle of the night.

              • Cyborganism
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                10 months ago

                Not downplaying what you’re going through but that sounds like anxiety attacks. But I’m no doctor so what do I know.

                That’s so weird though. Did you get any kind of diagnosis from a doctor? Have you tried any medication?

        • Chronic_AllTheThings
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          10 months ago

          1.4 of 38-odd million is absolutely not rare, it’s nearly 1 in 50. The US figures are even worse. For something to be considered medically rare, it needs to be at most 1 in 10,000.

        • starlinguk@kbin.social
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          10 months ago

          Long term symptoms aren’t rare. It’s at least one in ten people. And a lot of people are in denial and refuse to accept they’re scewed.

    • DMmeYourBoobs@lemmynsfw.com
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      10 months ago

      The death count is low because immunity is up. If we relax on things like vaccinations or quarantine orders it will come back.

      • ryan213@lemmy.world
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        10 months ago

        There’s already an uptick from wastewater testing for the past few weeks according to CBC.

      • Cyborganism
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        10 months ago

        I think if we get a yearly immunization shot for influenza and covid we should be fine. And people should just quarantine if they’re sick, COVID or not. I hate it when people go to work sick when they have the option to work from home. Especially in an office setting. Like haven’t they learned anything? Why spread the disease to all your colleagues?

      • CanadaPlus@lemmy.sdf.org
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        10 months ago

        Don’t we have herd immunity now? Having caught it recently is just as good as a vaccination.

        • adderaline@beehaw.org
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          10 months ago

          herd immunity relies on people maintaining immunity. if you can get the vaccine, you should, regardless of if you’ve caught the virus.

          • CanadaPlus@lemmy.sdf.org
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            10 months ago

            Agreed. Both don’t last forever. I got it 4 times, for reference, since I seem to have come a across as an antivaxxer. Either way though I think the pandemic proper is over.

        • Auzy@beehaw.org
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          10 months ago

          Unfortunately as well, there is likely a much higher percentage of nutjobs who think vaccinations are a conspiracy, who are also probably the type of people who don’t use RAT tests and who prioritise themselves over others (so even if they suspect they are sick, they’ll go attend major events, etc).

          Whilst 2 people I know genuinely are good people who don’t believe in vaccination (which again, was at least likely partially facilitated by our dumb PM at the time and Trump), another two I know (who legally SHOULD have gotten vaccinated for work actually, since they work for the government), are two of the worst self-centered people I know