VANCOUVER -- A mutation of the coronavirus that has been widely transmitted in parts of the U.K. has not yet been found in Canada, B.C.’s top doctor confirmed Monday as the province ramps up its efforts to trace strains and variants of the virus that causes COVID-19.
The U.K. variant, which experts say has at least 17 mutations to its genetic code, including several to the spike protein it uses to infect human cells, is broadly understood, based on still-limited evidence, to transmit more easily between people than other variants.
And so far, that appears to be the biggest concern.
“These changes don’t seem to cause more severe disease,” Dr. Bonnie Henry said Monday afternoon, “and don’t seem to interfere with the ability of vaccine to give people protection.”
The variant emerged earlier in the fall and has since become dominant across parts of England, with limited cases now identified as far away as Australia.
Henry added that the genomics team at B.C.’s Centre for Disease Control has been reviewing the sequencing of the virus that causes COVID-19 since the very beginning of the pandemic, and while they have seen and expected mutations, they have not tracked this specific variant.
She also described the 72-hour halt to flights from the U.K. to Canada as a “pause” to allow health officials to gain better understanding of the variant, and the measures they may need to take.
Last Thursday, before the new variant was it in the international spotlight, BCCDC microbiologist Natalie Prystajecky explained to CTV’s Michele Brunoro that the Vancouver lab was one of the first in the country to do genetic mapping of the virus.
“We’re sequencing about 450 cases a week, so we do have the tools in place,” Prystajecky told CTV, before the lab was then tasked with reviewing its work for the UK variant.
And Dr. Brian Conway, the medical director of the Vancouver Infectious Diseases Centre, said that because B.C. has a “very robust public health infrastructure,” he is confident experts will detect the variant quickly should it appear in the province, and make appropriate adjustments to policies and orders.
“There no need to panic,” Conway said. “I think for now, follow the public health recommendations.”
Now is “not the time to start taking chances," he added.
And B.C.’s provincial health officer acknowledged that while the variant doesn’t immediately change anything for the average British Columbian, she finds it worrisome that it seems to be spreading more quickly, which could mean more illness, more people in hospital, and more deaths.
“It just makes me want to make sure we are protecting people as quickly as we possible can,” Henry said.
