'Kraken' subvariant shows COVID continuing to evolve, vaccine equity needed: experts Though the Public Health Agency of Canada said last week it’s “too early” to tell if the Omicron subvariant XBB.1.5 is spreading in Canada beyond scattered cases cropping up— there’s still cause for concern and the public should be prepared by engaging in health measures, infectious disease experts say.According to PHAC data from the week of Dec. 18, close to 94 per cent of sequenced COVID-19 cases were the variant BA.5., another subvariant of Omicron known for its transmissibility.In a report published in October, infectious disease experts say the pandemic will be prolonged as new variants emerge from regions of the world that continue to lack access to vaccines to properly inoculate populations.For now, Canadians are encouraged to get their bivalent booster shot as soon as possible as it’s widely available and will likely prevent serious illness from the XBB subvariant and COVID-19 overall, said Dr. Dale Kalina, an infectious disease doctor with Joseph Brant Hospital and Foundation in Burlington, Ont.Passengers seeking compensation from airlines a 'David and Goliath situation,' consumer rights advocate says Staying informed of consumer rights can make the difference between receiving compensation or not, one expert says, but access to accurate airline information can be laborious, and technical regulations make understanding passenger rights difficult."