Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants are spreading rapidly around the world and the province confirms that both have been detected in Manitoba.
Provincial data suggest that COVID-19 transmission has a downward trend, but University of Saskatchewan epidemiologist Dr. Nazeem Muhajarine said it will likely change before September.
The province says both strains have appeared in Winnipeg wastewater, with BA.5 accounting for about 10 percent of the sequenced samples.
“The province aims to show at least 10 percent or at least 100 samples per week,” a spokesman said in an emailed statement.
Read more: Ontario Probably in a New Wave of COVID Driven by Subvariant BA.5, Says Scientific Table
These highly evolved variants of concern are six to eight times more contagious than the original SARS-CoV-2 virus, Muhajarine told Global News on Wednesday.
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“He has a lot of tricks up his sleeve to disguise and evade immunity, whether it’s created or acquired by vaccines or to have the infection, to have COVID-19,” Muhajarine said.
He warned that getting vaccinated will probably not stop people from becoming infected, but it is still proving that it avoids serious consequences.
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Those who were infected with Omicron BA.1, the strain circulating at Christmas, will likely not be protected against these newer strains, Muhajarine said.
“People get infected again and again, and these reinfections seem to be happening very close in time.”
In general, BA.4 and BA.5 cause milder symptoms, but because they are so transmissible, more people could end up in the hospital, he said.
Read more: Novavax expects to produce an Omicron COVID-19 vaccine in the fall
In general, he encouraged them to disguise themselves in crowded spaces and indoors, especially for the elderly and those with underlying health conditions.
“We need to be talking, thinking and preparing and doing things that, you know, that will keep us safe from ending up in the hospital, you know, in the ICU or dying of COVID-19 sooner rather than later this summer “.
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He said he hopes the provinces will decide not only to extend the reinforcement eligibility to the general public, but also to resume more widespread testing.
Provincial officials are monitoring the situation, but are not making changes to public health councils right now, the provincial spokesman said.
1:07 Officials urge Canadians to get COVID-19 reinforcement, warn of rising cases in fall Officials urge Canadians to get COVID-19 reinforcement, warn of rising cases of COVID-19 autumn