'It is a concern': 12 cases of XBB.1.5 COVID-19 variant found in B.C.
The number of lab-confirmed cases of the new "Kraken" COVID-19 variant has more than doubled over the last week in British Columbia, according to the provincial health officer.
In a one-on-one interview with CTV News, Dr. Bonnie Henry said there were 12 “isolations” of the XBB.1.5 Omicron sub-variant identified through lab testing as of Wednesday, compared to just five last week.
“It is a concern. This virus changes, that's what we know,” she said. “I expect we'll see some more but it's still a very small percentage, so we're not seeing that rapid takeoff that we've seen in some places in the U.S., for example.”
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control estimated 1.3 per cent of all COVID-19 cases in that country were XBB.1.5 in early December, but by the end of the month that had mushroomed to 40 per cent.
While widespread lab-testing collapsed a year ago during Omicron’s original surge in B.C., Henry said public health officials are tracking prevalence of overall COVID-19 infections and variants through wastewater testing, hospitalizations and what little community testing is still available – largely among seniors and those at high risk.
The academics and independent researchers in the BC COVID-19 modelling group have estimated lab-confirmed cases underrepresent real-world spread by about 100 times.
'KRAKEN' VARIANT MORE CONTAGIOUS AND VACCINE-RESISTANT
While the latest Omicron sub-variant has been nicknamed “Kraken” by a handful of researchers, experts are largely avoiding the moniker, which they have criticized as being wildly sensationalist.
On Wednesday, however, the World Health Organization was unequivocal that the XBB.1.5 sub-variant is the most contagious strain of COVID-19 ever seen. And while there’s no clear evidence it makes people sicker, it’s ability to infect more people is already leading to increased hospitalizations in the United States.
There are also signs it’s more immune-evasive, meaning vaccination and previous infections are less effective at preventing spread.
VACCINES EMPHASIZED BUT NO NEW STRATEGY
Henry and the WHO alike emphasized the importance of up-to-date vaccinations, especially bivalent boosters, as providing the best defence against serious illness, even though they’re not as effective against the new sub-variant.
“At the end of the day it's still Omicron and what we're seeing across the board is that vaccination still gives you good, strong protection against severe illness,” Henry said.
When CTV News asked if she planned to change her approach to encouraging vaccination to catch the attention of the many British Columbians who haven’t been boosted, Henry reiterated that “if you have not had a bivalent booster then by all means, now is the time to do it.”
After some hiccups initially, the annual influenza immunization campaign and the fall booster rollout have settled and it’s much easier to get a vaccination for either or both; community clinics and pharmacies are still offering them across B.C.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Western University researchers unlock potential 'cure' for ALS
New research out of London, Ont.'s Western University is shedding light on a potential cure for ALS, in which the targeting of the interaction between two proteins can halt or fully reverse the disease's progression.
Police release 3D images of young child found in an Ontario river two years ago
Police have released a three-dimensional image of a young child whose remains were discovered in the Grand River in Dunnville, Ont. almost two years ago.
A child killer legally changed his name in B.C. The province is trying to stop that from happening again
The BC NDP have tabled legislation aimed at stopping people who have committed certain heinous acts from changing their names.
Collapsed Baltimore bridge span comes down with a boom after crews set off chain of explosives
Crews conducted a controlled demolition Monday to break down the largest remaining span of the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore.
CN Railway suspends service on some networks due to wildfires
Canadian National (CN) Railway suspended service on its network between Fort St. John and Fort Nelson in B.C. and north of High Level, Alta., due to wildfires, the company said on Monday.
Kamala Harris drops F-bomb during White House live-stream
U.S. Vice-President Kamala Harris used a profanity on Monday while offering advice to young Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders about how to break through barriers.
Security video caught admitted serial killer disposing of bodies in Winnipeg garbage bins
Security video caught admitted serial killer Jeremy Skibicki on multiple late-night outings, disposing of body parts in nearby garbage bins and dumpsters in the middle of the night.
Mortgage companies could intensify the next recession, U.S. officials warn
U.S. officials worry the next recession could be intensified by a cascading series of failures in the mortgage industry caused by crashing home prices, frozen financial markets and soaring delinquencies.
What Michael Cohen said on the stand in Trump hush money case
The star prosecution witness in Donald Trump's hush money trial took the stand Monday with testimony that could help shape the outcome of the first criminal case against an American president.