JUST LIKE ENTERING A ‘NEW PANDEMIC’
CANADA’S EXPOSURE TO THE U.K., SOUTH AFRICA AND BRAZIL STRAINS
The highest concentration of COVID-19 variant cases reside in Ontario and this week, the first known case of the Brazil variant in Canada landed in Toronto. The city’s chief medical officer said the city is entering a “new pandemic.” Across the country, not only is the U.K. variant taking hold, but so is the South African variant. The National Post’s Bianca Bharti lays out the state of COVID-19 variants in Canada:
U.K. VARIANT HOW MANY CASES ARE IN CANADA?
There are at least 385 cases of the u.k. variant in Canada. Ontario holds the most cases — 228 — after a long-term care home in barrie had an outbreak in January which infected all 129 residents, 105 staff members and killed more than half of the residents.
Alberta is reporting 113 cases of the variant, b.c. is reporting 25 cases, Quebec is reporting eight, New brunswick has four cases, Saskatchewan and Nova Scotia each have three and Manitoba has one.
HOW DID IT EMERGE?
Health officials in england started detecting the u.k. variant in the fall after it emerged in Kent, a southeastern county just beside London. It wasn’t until mid-december that Prime Minister boris Johnson made public the news.
A lockdown in the southern parts of the country ensued and many governments, including Canada, instituted bans on travel to and from the united Kingdom. Currently, more than 70 countries are reporting detection of the u.k. strain within their borders.
HOW DID IT ENTER CANADA?
The variant first emerged in Ontario in december in the durham region. A couple, one of whom is a doctor, tested positive after they had come in contact with a traveller from the u.k.
The couple initially denied they had any travel-related contact but the durham regional health authority investigated further and determined the couple withheld the truth.
They have been charged with three public health-related offences under the Health Protection and Promotion Act of Ontario.
HOW DOES IT DIFFER FROM THE ORIGINAL COVID-19 STRAIN?
Initial study of the u.k. variant, also known as b117, suggested it was up to 70 per cent more transmissible compared to other minor variants because it can more easily bind to human cells, but it was not any more lethal.
researchers are continuing to study the differences in b117 and some preliminary findings from January now suggest that there are, indeed, higher occurrences of death in those infected with the strain.
Several experts, including the u.k. government’s chief scientist, said data collected for various studies is small and varies, so the strain’s lethality isn’t quite nailed down yet. John edmunds, a professor of mathematical modelling of infectious diseases at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, said the findings were “statistically significant” and should be taken seriously.
As for the efficacy of vaccines on the u.k. strain, scientists and governments report that the current vaccines protect against illness.
SOUTH AFRICA VARIANT HOW MANY CASES ARE IN CANADA?
There are at least 28 cases of the South Africa variant in the country, with british Columbia holding the highest case count at 15. Most of the variant cases in b.c. have been linked to travel but four cases of the South Africa variant worryingly have unclear origins.
Alberta follows behind with seven cases of the South Africa strain, Ontario has three, Quebec has two and Nova Scotia has one.
HOW DID IT EMERGE?
Health authorities in South Africa first detected the variant in October in Nelson Mandela bay, which is 1,000 km south of Johannesburg. From there, the new viral strain spread to other coastal areas of South Africa and currently accounts for more than 90 per cent of cases in the country, The Conversation reported. It has now been found in more than 30 countries.
HOW DID IT ENTER CANADA?
Alberta confirmed the first case of the South Africa variant to enter Canada on Jan. 8.
HOW DOES IT DIFFER FROM THE ORIGINAL COVID-19 STRAIN?
The South Africa variant, also known as b1351, is similar to the u.k. variant in that it is more transmissible — as much as 50 per cent, reuters reported.
There isn’t any evidence that has emerged suggesting it is more deadly than the original virus, however, the South Africa variant has mutations that reduce the ability of antibodies to bind onto the virus and thus, fight it off. ultimately, that means the body’s natural immune response is weakened and a person could catch COVID-19 again.
Currently, the variant is spelling bad news for vaccination efforts. The country paused its rollout of the Astrazeneca vaccine after data revealed it gave minimal protection against mild infection.
recent data from phase two and three clinical trials, for both the Novavax and Johnson & Johnson vaccine, also indicate reduced protection.
BRAZIL VARIANT HOW MANY CASES ARE IN CANADA?
There is only one known case of the brazil variant in Canada.
Toronto Public Health reported on Sunday that a person had returned from travelling to brazil and is now in hospital.
HOW DID IT EMERGE?
The brazil variant was actually discovered in Japan in January.
during routine testing at the Haneda airport, outside of Tokyo, four travellers from brazil tested positive for the variant, the CDC reported.
It’s currently taking over the brazilian state of Amazonas, in the northwest of the country. The state borders Peru, Colombia and Venezuela.
The variant has been discovered in the united States, South Korea and Japan.
HOW DOES IT DIFFER FROM THE ORIGINAL COVID-19 STRAIN?
The brazil variant, known as P1, is similar to the South Africa variant in terms of its mutations that impact the body’s immune system response. It is possible that a person who has had COVID-19 can become infected with the brazil variant.
In a study looking at a cluster of cases in Manaus, the largest city in Amazonas with a population of two million, 42 per cent of specimens from late december tested positive for the virus.
The reason the brazil variant is so concerning for scientists is due to how rapidly it spread. The u.k. variant seemed to have taken three months to dominate in england, whereas it took a month for the brazil variant to dominate in Manaus. The region had already been hit hard by the virus in April, and scientists thought the population would reach herd immunity, but the variant has taken over.
Scientists aren’t yet sure if the vaccines have reduced efficacy against the brazil variant.
There seems to be some thought that, because it shares the same mutations as the South Africa variant, vaccines may not provide the same level of protection as they do for the original virus.