globalnews.ca
25.03.2022 / 03:15
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More transmissible BA.2 subvariant on the rise in Manitoba, experts say
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.