New Omicron sub-variant is in Manitoba, province says
New sub-variants of COVID-19 are in Manitoba, with scientists watching trends warning the mutated version of the Omicron variant called BA.5 is highly transmissible.
Sandy Wilson thought she was immune to COVID-19 and was surprised to find out she had been infected.
"I had been exposed to it a number of times and I was really surprised to get it," she said, adding she has also been hearing of a lot of other people who have it right now too.
While it is hard to tell how many cases there have been, provincial surveillance estimates one in 10 cases are BA.5.
"BA.5 is evident in Manitoba and comprises about 10 per cent of isolates sequenced. The province is targeting to sample at least 10 per cent or at least ~100 samples per week," a provincial spokesperson told CTV News.
According to the most recent Manitoba weekly COVID-19 report, the virus activity is decreasing. The federal wastewater data is similar.
However, other countries including the U.S. are dealing with the new versions of the Omicron variant which is taking over as the dominant strain.
"I know it sounds like we say this every time, but this is the nature of viruses," said Epidemiologist Cynthia Carr, founder of EPI Research. "They evolve and get better at what they want to do. These are highly transmissible viruses."
Carr said BA.5 seems to be spreading more efficiently. Like the Delta variant, this new variant is latching and holding on to cells and antibodies may not recognize it as easily.
She said cases in Canada are starting to creep up, the opposite from previous summers when the province saw a creep down
"It's not a pattern we are happy to see and so we could have some experiences like there are in other countries," Carr said, adding it's not clear how big an increase in cases there could be.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'My family doctor just fired me': Ontario patients frustrated with de-rostering
Dozens of Ontarians are expressing frustration in the province’s health-care system after their family doctors either dropped them as patients or threatened to after they sought urgent care elsewhere.
Suspect sought after fatal slashing in downtown Toronto
Police are searching for a suspect in a homicide investigation after a man was slashed in downtown Toronto on Sunday.
Edibles, armchairs and adapters: Here are the recalls for this week
Health Canada announced various product recalls this week, including electric adapters, armchairs, cannabis edibles and vehicle components.
Putin replaces Russian defence minister in rare cabinet shakeup
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin began a Cabinet shakeup on Sunday, proposing the replacement of Sergei Shoigu as defence minister as he begins his fifth term in office.
Wildfire near Fort McMurray more than triples overnight, several evacuation alerts remain in place
The fire burning near Fort McMurray grew from 25 hectares to 5,500 hectares over the weekend.
Canada Post cracks down on Nunavut loophole to get free Amazon Prime shipping
Amazon's paid subscription service provides free delivery for online shopping across Canada except for remote locations, the company said in an email. While customers in Iqaluit qualify for the offer, all other communities in Nunavut are excluded.
Mother's Day movies that pull at ALL the heartstrings
This Mother's Day Weekend, take a look at some of the most emotional movies inspired by moms.
Ottawa pizzeria places among top 20 deep-dish pizzas in the world at international competition
An Ottawa pizzeria is being recognized as one of the top 20 deep-dish pizzas in the world.
WATCH Dashcam video shows terrifying near-miss on two-lane northern Ontario highway
There were some scary moments for several people on a northern Ontario highway caught on video Thursday after a chain reaction following a truck fire.