More cases of 'Kraken' variant detected in B.C., but province has good protection, officials say
B.C.'s top doctor says the province has confirmed more cases of the so-called "Kraken" variant of the virus that causes COVID-19, but it is not currently the strain responsible for most infections in B.C.
There have been 24 cases of the XBB.1.5 subvariant of the Omicron strain of SARS-CoV-2 confirmed through whole-genome sequencing in B.C. so far, provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said at a news conference in Vancouver Friday.
She estimated that the subvariant currently accounts for five to six per cent of cases the province is sequencing. The vast majority of cases – about 95 per cent – are still the BQ.1.1 subvariant, Henry said.
While she stressed that the 24 confirmed XBB.1.5 infections are just the ones that have been sequenced, not the total number that have likely been contracted in the province, Henry also sought to minimize people's concerns about the new subvariant.
"All of these are subvariants of Omicron, and I think that's really, really important," the provincial health officer said.
"While this XBB.1.5 has garnered a lot of attention, it still remains a subvariant of Omicron."
That means British Columbians are well equipped to deal with it, according to Henry.
She said B.C.'s population has high levels of protection from all Omicron strains because of vaccination and previous infection, and added that there's no evidence that XBB.1.5 is causing more severe illness than previous subvariants.
"We must remember that these new strains may make us more vulnerable to infection, but they don't render us defenceless," Henry said. "We are no longer in the place where we needed to take extraordinary measures because everybody was susceptible and many, many people could get seriously ill, need hospital care or die."
She added that precautions like staying home when sick, using proper "respiratory etiquette" (covering coughs and sneezes, properly disposing of tissues, regular hand-washing), and wearing a mask in crowded spaces or places with poor ventilation will help limit the spread of COVID-19 and other respiratory illnesses.
"It is important to continue to take measures to protect ourselves and others from respiratory viruses and other infections," Henry said, adding that getting vaccinated – particularly with the Omicron-targeting bivalent vaccines – is the most important protective measure to take.
Friday's update from Henry and Health Minister Adrian Dix comes one week after Dix announced that B.C. would be reopening emergency operations centres at 20 hospitals to deal with surging demand.
The emergency operations centres were initially put in place to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic, but COVID-19 has been less of a concern this winter than other respiratory illnesses.
As of Thursday, there were 302 people in hospital with the coronavirus, on the low end of the range the province has been seeing over the last six months, despite concerns about the spread of the so-called "Kraken" variant.
Hospitals overall remain above their standard capacity. As of Friday, there were 10,106 people hospitalized for all causes across the province. Including 2,500 surge beds, B.C. has 11,680 hospital beds available, overall.
This means hospitals were operating at roughly 87 per cent of their maximum capacity, including surge beds, or 110 per cent of their baseline capacity, as of Friday.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
DEVELOPING Live updates as Stormy Daniels testifies at Trump hush money trial
Adult film star Stormy Daniels will take the stand a second time Thursday as former U.S. president Donald Trump’s hush money case continues in Manhattan. Follow live updates here.
BREAKING Sheldon Keefe out as head coach of Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs have fired head coach Sheldon Keefe. The team made the announcement Thursday after the Original Six franchise lost to the Boston Bruins in seven games in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
Bank of Canada says financial system is stable, but risks remain
The Bank of Canada says the Canadian financial system is stable, but risks remain due to debt servicing costs among households and businesses and stretched valuations of financial assets.
Why these immigrants to Canada say they're thinking about leaving, or have already moved on
For some immigrants, their dreams of permanently settling in Canada have taken an unexpected twist.
Here are the ultraprocessed foods you most need to avoid, according to a 30-year study
Studies have shown that ultraprocessed foods can have a detrimental impact on health. But 30 years of research show they don’t all have the same impact.
Torchbearers in Marseille kick off the Olympic flame's journey across France
Torchbearers carried the Olympic flame through the streets of France's southern port city of Marseille on Thursday, a day after it arrived on a majestic three-mast ship for a welcoming ceremony.
Capital gains tax change 'shortsighted' and 'sows division' business groups tell Freeland
Forging ahead with increasing Canada's capital gains inclusion rate 'sows division,' and is a 'shortsighted' way to improve the deficit, business groups are warning Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland.
Court to hear about search for remains as Winnipeg murder trial enters second day
A courtroom in Winnipeg is expected to hear testimony today about the search for the remains of the four victims of Jeremy Skibicki.
Ontario man frustrated after $3,500 paving job leaves driveway in shambles
An Ontario man considering having his driveway paved received a quote from a company for $7,000, but then, another paver in the neighbourhood knocked on his door and offered half that rate.