Canada: First case of highly mutated Omicron COVID variant BA.2.86 detected in British Columbia
livemint.comAlso read: Highly mutated COVID variant BA.2.86 detected in 2 more countries, but 'pandemic in a different phase’, says WHO The BA.2.86 lineage, which was initially detected in Denmark last month, boasts over 35 mutations in significant portions of the virus when compared to the XBB.1.5 variant, which had been the predominant strain throughout most of 2023. The United States, Switzerland, and Israel have also reported cases of this new variant.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) mentioned last week that the BA.2.86 variant might possess a greater capability to cause infections in individuals who had previous COVID-19 infections or had received preventive vaccines. Also read: New COVID-19 variant BA.2.86 more infectious, capable of causing infection in vaccinated individuals: US CDC While scientists consider it crucial to monitor the BA.2.86 variant, they do not anticipate it causing a devastating surge in severe illness and fatalities, thanks to the global immunity established through vaccination campaigns and prior infections.
Canadian health authorities have observed an increase in COVID-19 infections in recent weeks. Nevertheless, virus activity remains relatively low, as reported in a weekly update by Health Canada earlier on Tuesday.
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