51 cases of new Omicron BA.2 variant have been detected across Canada

A new sub-variant of Omicron, that’s harder to detect and potentially more transmissible, has already arrived in Canada.

The Public Health Agency of Canada confirmed to Daily Hive on Wednesday that it’s aware of 51 cases of the BA.2 Omicron strain. Most cases are tied to international travel.

The update comes as access to COVID-19 testing is limited to only health-care workers and vulnerable individuals in many Canadian provinces, meaning the true number of cases could be higher.

The initial Omicron strain that became dominant in Canada in a matter of weeks during November 2021 is known as BA.1. The new sub-variant has many similarities to it, but its genetic code contains a key deletion that makes it harder to detect using PCR tests.

“BA.2 does exhibit some differences from BA.1, including some mutations that may affect transmissibility, detection and possibly immune escape,” PHAC said in a statement. “There is very limited evidence at present to determine how impactful the differences between BA.1 an BA.2 may be, hence the ongoing efforts by PHAC scientists to monitor cases here in Canada and track developments internationally.”

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The BA.2 sub-variant has already gained some traction in the UK, Denmark, and India according to a report from the World Health Organization.

BC’s top doctor confirmed Tuesday that labs had detected a small number of BA.2 cases as early as two weeks ago, making the West Coast province the first in Canada to confirm its spread.

“We’re not seeing it taking over from Omicron as we saw Omicron take over from Delta,” Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said. “It’s difficult to know what the overall impact is going to be, if any.”

PHAC did not answer Daily Hive’s question about where the 51 cases were detected. Daily Hive has reached out to the health ministries for Alberta, Ontario, and Quebec but has not yet heard back.