Jason Kindrachuk: Latest News

Omicron, appears to be on the rise in Manitoba.According to a provincial spokesperson, as of mid-March, 11.8 per cent of COVID-19 tests were the BA.2 subvariant and recent sequencing suggests the rate of BA.2 is increasing.With a lack of surveillance and a lack of widespread COVID-19 PCR testing, the numbers are skewed, and experts say it’s likely much higher.“Given how long this has probably been circulating and our reduction in access to lab-based testing it would be likely that those ratios are probably higher,” epidemiologist Cynthia Carr told Global News.She added that the rate the original BA.1 Omicron variant multiplied is another indicator the numbers are higher. BA.2 could mean new COVID-19 wave: scientists Experts say the more transmissible BA.2, coupled with a lack of COVID-19 restrictions in place, could be the concoction that fuels a spring wave of COVID-19.“It won’t be surprising at all if there is a spring wave associated with this variant,” Carr said.Virologist Jason Kindrachuk says BA.2 will likely push out BA.1 as the dominant strain, just as Omicron overtook Delta.“What we’re understanding now is BA.2 looks to be a bit more transmissible or transmissive than BA.1,” Kindrachuk said.“That of course, puts us into the awkward position of saying, once again, we have another variant, that is more transmissible than the last variant.”Kindrachuk said that so far, research suggests the severity of BA.2 is similar to BA.1’s.

COVID-19 restrictions on Tuesday, and it’s drawing some mixed reactions.Sports and recreation tournaments will be allowed to resume.“It’s a step in the right direction in that we are getting back to what some sort of new normal is going to be,” Manitoba Chambers of Commerce president and CEO Chuck Davidson told Global News.“In terms of what’s going to change, I think not much is going to change for Manitobans, it’s only going to be those larger events and I think limited larger events in the short term.” Manitoba to gradually relax health restrictions, expand business, arts supports: Stefanson Davidson said he was pleased to see additional supports for arts and cultural organizations, but the updated public health orders don’t provide much change for the restaurant and hospitality sector.“I think what we’re really looking for is what’s the next step,” he said. “The real industry that’s been impacted is hospitality, and restaurants still being able to only operate at 50 per cent capacity is a huge challenge.”The province is aiming to have no restrictions in place by the springtime.

flu shot campaign, and a University of Manitoba virologist says the success of the flu shot — during the COVID-19 pandemic — is going to be dependent on people’s behaviours this season, and how seriously they take the flu.“I always take the vantage point that we tend to minimize influenza, unfortunately, in many ways,” Dr. Jason Kindrachuk told 680 CJOB.“When you look at global deaths on an annual basis, and certainly the toll that it takes in North America — it’s a bad disease.“What we’re going to see this year, I think, is going to be highly dependent on behaviours.

The COVID-19 vaccine is now in the hands of Canadians. But what does that mean for immunity or for when life can go back to normal? Reporter Julia Wong went to Dr.

COVID-19 vaccinations will begin in Alberta later this week but don’t expect life to go back to normal.Here are some commonly asked questions about what will happen once it begins:In short, we don’t yet know. Dr.

records record-high cases of COVID-19, one health expert is urging caution against recommendations from the province that suggest opting for in-person dining over at-home gatherings.Virologist Jason Kindrachuk says reducing the spread of COVID-19 depends on whether safety measures are put in place and followed, regardless of whether you’re at home or at a restaurant.“The virus does not care whether we are six feet across from one another or we’re ten feet across from one another,” University of Manitoba virologist Jason Kindrachuk said Saturday.“If there is the opportunity for it to spread from person to the next, it will.“People should be reducing any social contacts they have whatsoever, whether that is in their homes, whether it’s at a

Now that the school year has formally started and Manitoba kids are back in the classroom, parents and teachers will be on high alert for signs of COVID-19 in their children.Infectious disease expert Dr.

Virologist Dr. Jason Kindrachuk answers your COVID-19 questions and explains the difference between asymptomatic and pre-symptomatic spread following comments from the WHO.

Despite a warning from Health Canada that it’s a dangerous drug to take without medical supervision, hydroxychloroquine — which is typically used to treat malaria and some auto-immune diseases — is still being touted by some as a potential treatment for COVID-19.

For those who have already recovered from COVID-19, how long might they be protected from reinfection?

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From coronavirus modelling to grim new unemployment numbers, there’s been a lot of information for Canadians to digest over the last week.

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As the snow melts more than a few Manitobans might be wondering whether or not the mosquitoes that will inevitably arise from the newly-forming puddles can transmit novel coronavirus.

Setting up lawn chairs in driveways for socially-distant neighbourhood parties. Talking to one another from apartment building balconies. Driving to parking lots to chat from cars parked two metres apart.

When new illnesses, diseases and viruses reach Canada, the National Microbiology Lab in Winnipeg is the front line for research and testing.

As health officials in Canada and abroad continue to struggle to contain the novel coronavirus, which has now infected more than 298,000 people worldwide, many questions remain unanswered.