The former head of Ontario's science table says cases of a new COVID-19 subvariant have risen in the province and it will become the next dominant strain.
Doctor Fahad Razak, an internist with Saint Michael's Hospital in Toronto, says the XBB.1.5 subvariant has been surging in the U.S. and it's only a matter of time before Ontario sees a similar jump.
The latest COVID-19 surveillance report from Public Health Ontario says the subvariant is expected to account for more than 22 per cent of COVID-19 cases by the end of this week.
A few weeks ago, less than 1 per cent of COVID-19 cases were of the subvariant.
There are 19 people being treated for COVID in Niagara's hospitals, one is in the ICU.
There’s no indication the new subvariant causes more severe illness.