No Kraken yet detected in North Bay area

So far, the North Bay Parry Sound District has escaped the latest COVID variant.

The newest sub-variant, the Omicron XBB was found in Sudbury last week.

"To date, zero cases of the XBB variant have been reported within our district," a Health Unit spokesperson told BayToday Monday.

The new XBB variant is the most transmissible variant detected to date and projections are it will make up over 20 per cent of all strains detected in Ontario. The new variant is also nicknamed the Kraken variant. 

You might first think of the NHL team but the Kraken is a mythical multi-tentacled sea monster in Scandinavian folklore. Scientists nicknamed it "Kraken" because of its rapid spread.

It has spread like wildfire in the United States. But the good news is there is no evidence yet that it causes more severe disease than other Omicron strains.

Health Units are reminding the public of the importance of continuing to practice personal protective measures to prevent COVID-19 transmission, including staying up to date with COVID-19 vaccinations and getting a bivalent booster when they're eligible.

If it has been more than six months since you completed your primary vaccination series, your last COVID-19 booster, or since your last infection, now is the time to get a bivalent booster dose.