Two new COVID-19 variants, which are gaining traction across Canada, already dominate New Brunswick.
So far, HV.1 and HK.3, related to Omicron EG.5, do not appear to cause more severe disease than other recent variants, said Colin Furness, an infection control epidemiologist and assistant professor at the University of Toronto.
“But it is also a bit too soon to know,” he said.
HV. 1 and HK. 3 were first detected in the province in late August and account for about 15. 7 percent of the reported cases sent for sequencing as of Nov. 18, according to the volunteer organization Protect Our Province New Brunswick (PoP NB), which aims to create easily accessible data on COVID hazards and protective measures.
PoP NB received the knowledge through GISAID, a non-profit foreign allocation aimed at sharing genomic knowledge about viruses, provided by the original Vitalité Health Network laboratory.
The province no longer provides the main sequencing points in the respiratory surveillance report. Public Health will verify the presence of a variant upon request, which Health Department spokesman Sean Hatchard did.
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Three-and-a-half years into the pandemic, “we still don’t have a smart understanding of the severity of the disease because of variants that we revel in so much,” Furness said.
“Many of COVID’s worst possible effects — vascular damage, brain damage, organ damage — will only be assessable in the long term,” he said.
In addition, Furness said researchers know very little about what he described as “plausible long-term effects,” citing male infertility, accelerated dementia and cancer as examples.
“The evolution of COVID-19 appears to continue to favor (or favor) immune evasion, but not contagion,” Furness said.
“This benefits those taking active precautions to restrict exposure and increases the threat for those who rely on immunity beyond COVID-19 infections. “
Since many people are not taking active precautions, he said, HV.1 and HK.3 are “finding a supportive environment.”
HV. 1 dominates across Canada “very aggressively,” while HK. 3 is one of three other subvariants that have greater dominance even with HV. 1, Furness said.
These are “the lineage teams that demonstrate steady expansion across the country,” Health Canada noted in last week’s epidemiological update.
As of November 12, HV. 1 represented approximately 40% of sequenced cases nationwide, while HK. 3 represented approximately 12%.
The World Health Organization (WHO) considers these sublineages, like EG.5, to be variants of interest, which is the second-highest rank after variant of concern.
This means they have genetic changes that are known to affect virus characteristics such as transmissibility and virulence; and a growth advantage over other circulating variants in more than one WHO region with increasing prevalence.
Although HV.1 and HK.3 have a high growth advantage relative to co-circulating variants, “their associated public health risks are classified low at the global level,” WHO said in its latest risk evaluation, published last week.
The Health Ministry spokesperson responded to questions about whether HV. 1 and HK. 3 are among the fastest-growing variants the province has seen.
Hatchard said in an email that their presence in the province “does not at this time change the recommendations to New Brunswickers on how to protect themselves from COVID-19.”
New Brunswickers are advised to “assess and manage their personal risk and to continue using Public Health precautions that can decrease their risk of contracting or spreading COVID-19,” Hatchard said.
He noted vaccination remains the best defence against COVID for those aged six months and older, as it “can help reduce the risk of serious complications and hospitalizations.”
The province is expected to receive the latest COVID update Tuesday afternoon.
According to the most recent respiratory surveillance report, covering Nov. 5-11, COVID-19 activity remained “moderate” and all signs remained “stable. “
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