"It was not unexpected": Canada's first case of new COVID variant found in BC
A person in BC has just been confirmed to be infected with a new COVID variant, and it’s the first case in Canada.
It’s a sentence that invokes dread in many more than three years since the first case of the original — then coronavirus — was discovered in the country, but health officials say they are monitoring the situation closely.
“British Columbia’s first case of a person infected with the BA.2.86 variant of Omicron in an individual from the Fraser Health region who has not travelled outside the province,” a joint statement from BC’s top doctor, Dr. Bonnie Henry, and BC’s health minister, Adrian Dix, reads in part.
“So far, there does not seem to be increased severity with this strain of COVID, and the individual is not hospitalized.
The new variant was first detected in Denmark in July and has already been found in several other countries, including the United States.
“It was not unexpected for BA.2.86 to show up in Canada and the province. The risk to people in BC has not changed. COVID-19 continues to spread globally, and the virus continues to adapt.”
While it isn’t exactly good news, the province says the detection of the variant here shows that data monitoring and surveillance is working, and results from wastewater research don’t show more cases among the population.
“We urge all people in BC to continue to follow public health advice and to stay home when sick, wear masks when appropriate, follow respiratory etiquette, wash hands frequently, and, most importantly, stay up to date on your vaccinations,” the province added.
Overall, COVID levels in the country remain below high levels, with BC and Yukon seeing the lowest rates presently.
In Canada, about 80% of the population has completed a primary series of vaccinations, but only 6% have received a booster since then. BC remains among the most vaccinated provinces, with 87% getting their first shots and 11% receiving a booster.
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