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@lemmy.ca
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    1 year 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@lemmy.ca
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      1 year 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@lemmy.ca
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        1 year 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.

      • tellah@sh.itjust.works
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        1 year ago

        I know there’s “long COVID” and there’s the potential to overload our hospitals. Those are valid concerns.

        But here’s why I don’t worry. Long term symptoms from COVID are rare. Immunization has helped keep many out of hospitals (but we can definitely do better on this front).

        Lastly, I’ve got kids in daycare and I cannot count the times I’ve been sick - so much sicker than I ever was from COVID - from what Doctors will just say “it’s a virus”. If a viral infection can leave one with long term effects, then how many of those unnamed pathogens have the potential to leave me with long term effects? Did you know that there is research suggesting that being infected with influenza while pregnant might be a cause of schizophrenia for the child later in life? That’s fucked up!

        There are a lot of unknown viruses out there just waiting to give you long term effects, but you have to live your life. Try not to worry about what you can’t control.

        • starlinguk@kbin.social
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          1 year 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.

        • Chronic_AllTheThings@lemmy.ca
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          1 year 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.

    • DMmeYourBoobs@lemmynsfw.com
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      1 year ago

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

      • Cyborganism@lemmy.ca
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        1 year 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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        1 year ago

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