The most recent published official data on COVID infections shows relatively little change from last week’s update. The overall picture, for Ontario at least, is one of relatively stable infection rates.
Nationally, as illustrated in this week’s composite chart, municipal wastewater COVID viral counts continued their fairly steep late-winter and early-spring decline. Ontario PCR test positivity rates for seniors, health-care workers and a few others who remain eligible for definitive testing have remained largely unchanged since early January at levels comparable to last year at this time. Ontario COVID hospitalization rates are likewise stable, but at a somewhat higher level than last year. Overall, we’re seeing less seasonality than at any previous point in this pandemic.
Public Health Canada’s most recent reporting on the relative “market shares” of currently-circulating COVID variants also shows very little change from last week’s report. The XFG family of COVID variants was responsible for 54% of all new COVID infections, down from 64%. Their main competitor, the PQ family, was relatively stable at 32%, the main change being a growth in the unspecified “other” category. The single most prevalent strain was XFG.1.1, which at less than 13% makes it the “least dominant” dominant variant thus far in the pandemic.