Two new COVID-19 variants have arrived in New Brunswick.
Omicron BA. 2. 86 and FL. 1. 5. 1 were detected by random sequencing of positive cases, Health Ministry spokesman Sean Hatchard confirmed.
He declined to say when the new variants showed up in New Brunswick or how many were detected.
The province no longer provides the main sequencing points in the respiratory surveillance report. Public Health will verify the presence or non-presence of a variant upon request.
But there have been six cases of BA. 2. 86, bringing the total to four on Sept. 27, one on Oct. 3 and one on Oct. 12, according to Protect Our Province (POP) N. B. , on knowledge received through GISAID, a foreign nongovernmental organization. allocation of profits to the percentage of genomic knowledge about viruses, contributed through the internal laboratory of the Vitalité Health Network.
A total of 46 cases of FL. 1. 5. 1 have been confirmed: 10 in August, 23 in September, and thirteen in October, POP N. B. saying.
“As always, New Brunswickers are urged to assess and manage their personal threats and continue to take public health precautions that may reduce the risk of contracting or spreading COVID-19,” Hatchard said in an emailed statement.
“If there is an explanation to alert the public to new tactics to oppose a specific strain, it will be communicated. “
BA. 2. 86, which likely originated from BA. 2, an Omicron descendant that helped spark a wave of infections in the spring of 2022, suddenly emerged in several countries over the summer and was deemed a variant under surveillance during the World Health Organization in August. The first Canadian case appeared in British Columbia at the end of August.
Initially, its “large number of mutations raised considerations that it might behave differently” and “have new unsightly properties,” said Colin Furness, an infection epidemiologist and assistant professor at the University of Toronto.
But so far “there is no indication that this has happened. “
While the highly mutated variant appears to be “more immune” than previous strains, it does not appear to be more severe and has not led to a wave of decline, Furness said.
No primary problems have been reported with FL. 1. 5. 1, a variant of XBB, he said, despite accounting for about 6% of sequenced COVID infections nationwide last week, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada.
EG. 5, which appeared in New Brunswick in August, and its sublineages are now dominant in Canada and the United States.
“To our knowledge, none of those variants behave differently, with a trend toward greater immune evasion and slightly less transmissibility,” Furness said in an email.
“Lower transmissibility favors those who actively seek infection (e. g. , social distancing, masking); Increased immune leakage puts those who rely on vaccination and a pre-disease infection at a disadvantage.
“However, the new COVID booster will be effective against these. “
The vaccines are designed to target the Omicron XBB. 1. 5 subvariant, “but it turns out to be pretty clever cross-reactivity” for newer variants, Furness said.
Monday was the first day Moderna’s updated COVID vaccine was available in the province for others six months of age and older, if it’s been at least six months since their last dose or since COVID infection. Pfizer-BioNTech update The COVID vaccine is expected to arrive in late October or early November, the Health Ministry said.
COVID is present in New Brunswick, according to figures released earlier this week.
The Health Department on Tuesday reported two more COVID-19 deaths and about 63 percent in week-over-week hospitalizations, and an infectious disease researcher says about one in 52 New Brunswickers is newly infected with the virus. .
Intensive care unit admissions, COVID outbreaks and new cases also increased in the first week of October, according to the province’s respiratory surveillance report.
The Ministry of Health continues to supply immediate control kits to “anyone who has them on hand in case symptoms spread,” Hatchard said.
But to find out where and when to pick up check kits, other people will need to book an appointment online by entering their Medicare number, zip code, date of birth, email address and phone number, or by contacting Teleservices at 1-833-437-1424.
CBC asked for a detailed list of pickup locations and their hours of operation, but Hatchard said there are 74 locations across the province with appointments “during the day, evening and weekend,” according to the site.
“The online scheduling formula is designed to offer an appointment at the location closest to the user, but you can also have other places nearby. If appointments are made one day, they will usually be made the next day,” he said. .
There has been an increase in scheduled appointments in some fitness areas in recent weeks, but a decrease in others, according to Hatchard, who did not provide any details.
“The Ministry of Health is monitoring activity at immediate check collection sites across the province. Along with our partner sites, new sites are added and underutilized sites are shut down on an ongoing basis.
NB Lung, which began providing free immediate test kits for pickup at its Fredericton office last month without needing an appointment, has heard court cases from others who are “struggling” with the government’s appointment system, according to the president and CEO. Melanie Langille.
“They are pleased to be able to enter our workplace [between 8:30 a. m. and 4:30 p. m. ] without encountering any obstacles,” he said.
Langille would like to see the government make data on the availability of immediate testing across the province “much more accessible” to the public. A Google list or map “would be a big help,” he said.
“We know that other people are looking for him and we know that the province has . . . Lots of inventory on hand. So. . . we’ll be able to get them to New Brunswickers without too many barriers.
NB Lung has noticed “tremendous demand” in recent weeks, topping 1,000 kits, containing five tests, last week, Langille said.
It’s “really exciting because it’s vital for us to know that other people are being tested to determine if their symptoms are those of COVID-19,” rather than those of a respiratory illness, “because it has implications on . . . their eligibility for long-term booster doses and/or their ability to get antiviral remedies [like Paxlovid] at the pharmacy,” he said.
NB Lung provides two test kits per child, Langille said.
“But there’s really no limit. If you ask for your neighbor, we’ll send you home with extras as well. “
It can take a few days for a user to develop symptoms and their viral load is high enough to sign up for immediate testing, he said.
“So we need other people to have enough Array on hand. . . to be able to check it several times for a few days without having to faint in public. “
Lung has “several hundred” control kits coming from federal and provincial surpluses, and he needs more, he said.
While some experts have taken multiple areas, adding the back of the throat and cheek, rather than just the nose, to increase the effectiveness of tests designed to detect the original strain of the novel coronavirus, the province’s recommendation has not been followed. changed,” Hatchard said.
“To ensure the accuracy of immediate test results, Public Health recommends following the manufacturer’s instructions on the test kits,” he said in an emailed statement.
“It’s worth noting that not everyone wants to get tested. “
Public Health recommends immediate testing for “other people who are in vulnerable settings and for others who are at higher risk for severe illness and who can benefit from treatment,” he said.
“For the general public, anyone who is not feeling well should stay home until symptoms improve. “
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