New COVID strain found in Montreal wastewater: health ministry
SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19 has mutated into two new variants that are circulating across Asia, Europe and North America, and Quebec's public health authority warns one of the strains was detected in Montreal wastewater data.
The variant found in Quebec, XFG, has also been detected in wastewater in other parts of Canada, the United States, and Europe. Another new strain, NB.1.8.1, is associated with a rise in COVID cases and hospitalizations in China, Hong Kong, India, Taiwan, Thailand, and Singapore, according to Marie-Pierre Blier, a spokesperson from the health ministry.
Although XFG has made its way to Quebec, public health authorities assure there is no need to panic. Blier wrote in an email that it hasn't markedly impacted public health, adding that the ministry continues to monitor the situation closely.
The World Health Organization (WHO) is monitoring SARS-CoV-2 levels through public wastewater data, saying infection levels were not rising in North America and Europe as of May 11, 2025. It rates the overall public health risk of COVID-19 as low.
Despite the increase in cases and hospitalizations in Asia, Blier suggested there is no evidence that the new strains are more serious or have caused more deaths than other circulating variants.
She added that the current COVID-19 vaccines seem to be effective in protecting against severe forms of the disease.
Blier wrote the current situation is very similar to the same time last year, when the new variant KP.2 was circulating.
To prevent the spread of COVID-19, the health ministry recommends staying home if you have a fever, wearing a mask if you have a cough or sore throat, and avoiding contact with immunocompromised or elderly people until symptoms disappear.
This story was originally published May 29, 2025 at 4:51 PM.
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'We don't have the level of uptake of vaccines that we had two or three years ago, and so those factors would mean you could have something spread and you would have lower levels of protection, and so you could have a lot of people sick,' Razak said. But, Razak says, that there hasn't been a major variant of concern in years. Public Health Ontario tells CTV News Toronto that, to date, this variant has not been included in its reporting but note its next report will be published next week. Toronto Public Health, meanwhile, does not break down what variants of COVID-19 are seen in in the city. It does provide general data for how prevalent the virus is at this time. The latest epidemiological data from TPH shows a 1.8 per cent positivity rate from May 11 to May 17, showing the activity levels of the virus are currently 'low.' Are the symptoms any different? Bogoch says the symptoms from NB.1.8.1. are similar to what one would get if they contracted any Omicron sub-lineage in the last three years, which could cause fever, fatigue, cough, and shortness of breath. 'There's a well-trodden path of who's at greater risk for more severe manifestations of the virus, namely, people on the older end of the spectrum and people with underlying medical comorbidities,' Bogoch said. 'So, it doesn't sound like, apart from a subtle genetic change, it doesn't sound like there's anything new about this (variant) in terms of clinical presentation, risk factors for severity of illness (and) transmission.' The guidance on how to protect yourself also remains unchanged, Razak says. 'When you have periods like this, like, let's say we have started to see a high degree of spread in Canada, the advice that we've given the last few years would hold just as strongly. If your vaccine hasn't been updated, update your vaccine,' Razak said. Masking in crowded places, frequently washing hands and enhancing air circulation when indoors are also other methods to prevent the virus from spreading between person to person. What if you haven't had a recent vaccine? Bogoch says that, for some time now, the COVID-19 vaccines 'doesn't protect against infection nearly to the same extent as it once did.' 'The vaccines can provide a little bit of protection against infection for a short period of time—they can—but the real role of the vaccine is to significantly reduce the risk of severe illness that is primarily in those with risk factors for severe illness,' Bogoch said. 'Long are the days where the vaccine was a formidable force in preventing infection and subsequent onward transmission. We haven't been that era in years.' The vaccine can reduce the risk of infection but after about six months, its protection starts to wane, Razak says. 'Our National Advisory Committee on Immunization, they have continued to say that high-risk individuals—for example, older individuals, people who are immunosuppressed, people who are being treated for rheumatologic illness or cancer where their immune systems are notworking—they would benefit from getting their updates every six months,' Razak said.
