Health officials discover nearly 1,000 cases of new COVID-19 subvariant in Ontario
Nearly 1,000 cases of a new Omicron COVID-19 subvariant dubbed “BA.2.20” have been detected in Ontario since mid-February, and it could have a small growth advantage over the current lineage dominant in the province.
Public Health Ontario says the new subvariant “has been increasingly co-circulating primarily in Ontario and in some American states,” according to a report quietly published on Monday.
- Download our app to get local alerts to your device
- Get the latest local updates right to your inbox
A second major iteration of the Omicron variant, known as BA.2, is now dominant in the province as the sixth wave of the pandemic subsides.
This new Ontario-specific subvariant has two mutations that make it different from BA.2, but the exact impact of the mutations is not yet known.
“At this time, the impact of these mutations on transmission, risk of severe disease, reinfection and breakthrough infection is unknown,” Public Health Ontario scientists wrote in their report released earlier this week.
Some 996 cases of the subvariant have been found in the province to date.
An analysis of BA.2.20 cases found to date suggested that there could be up to a 24 per cent growth advantage associated with the new subvariant over the dominant BA.2 strain, but they assessed that finding with a low degree of confidence.
Epidemiologists say the first Ontario case of this new subvariant was detected in London, Ont. on Feb. 14, 2022.
It received a formal Pango lineage designation certifying it as unique back in April.
Its earliest known example worldwide was also found somewhere in Canada in January.
The proportion of BA.2.20 cases has risen in Ontario from less than one per cent in early March to six to seven per cent by mid to late April.
It’s been found most often in Toronto, the wider GTHA and London, primarily among young adults aged 20 to 39.
Eighty-five per cent of known cases involved people who received two or three doses of COVID-19 vaccine.
Only 19 of the 996 examples Public Health Ontario is aware of as of today were detected through border testing of incoming air and land travellers.
Three per cent (30) of the cases identified so far required hospital admission, tracking roughly with observed hospitalization rates of Omicron since March.
No deaths due to infection by BA.2.20 had been observed up until April 20.
As of April, ten per cent of all COVID-19 cases confirmed in Ontario are referred for whole genomic sequencing, down from 50 per cent of all cases detected in March.
New subvariants of COVID-19 strains pop up regularly around the world, but this is the first time such a subvariant has appeared so heavily concentrated in Ontario.
Public health agencies use a lengthy lab-based process known as whole genomic sequencing to map out the unique characteristics of the coronavirus as it evolves, in order to identify the level of risk posed by the changes.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
How quietly promised law changes in the 2024 federal budget could impact your day-to-day life
The 2024 federal budget released last week includes numerous big spending promises that have garnered headlines. But, tucked into the 416-page document are also series of smaller items, such as promising to amend the law regarding infant formula and to force banks to label government rebates, that you may have missed.
Which foods have the most plastics? You may be surprised
'How much plastic will you have for dinner, sir? And you, ma'am?' While that may seem like a line from a satirical skit on Saturday Night Live, research is showing it's much too close to reality.
opinion I've been a criminal attorney for decades. Here's what I think about the case against Trump
Joey Jackson, a criminal defence attorney and a legal analyst for CNN, outlines what he thinks about the criminal case against Donald Trump in the 'hush money trial.'
$3.8M home in B.C.'s Okanagan has steel shell for extra wildfire protection
A home in B.C.'s Okanagan that features a weathering steel shell designed to provide some protection against wildfires has been listed for sale at $3.8 million.
Diver pinned under water by an alligator figured he had choice. Lose his arm or lose his life
An alligator attacked a diver on April 15 as he surfaced from his dive, nearly out of air. His tank emptied with the gator's jaws crushing the arm he put up in defence.
Psychologist becomes first person in Peru to die by euthanasia after fighting in court for years
A Peruvian psychologist who suffered from an incurable disease that weakened her muscles and had her confined to her bed for several years, died by euthanasia, her lawyer said Monday, becoming the first person in the country to obtain the right to die with medical assistance.
Mystery surrounds giant custom Canucks jerseys worn by Lions Gate Bridge statues
The giant stone statues guarding the Lions Gate Bridge have been dressed in custom Vancouver Canucks jerseys as the NHL playoffs get underway.
Celebrity designer sentenced to 18 months in prison for smuggling crocodile handbags
A leading fashion designer whose accessories were used by celebrities from Britney Spears to the cast of the 'Sex and the City' TV series was sentenced Monday to 18 months in prison after pleading guilty in Miami federal court on charges of smuggling crocodile handbags from her native Colombia.
Wildfire leads to evacuation order issued for northeast Alberta community
An evacuation order was issued on Monday afternoon for homes in the area of Cold Lake First Nation.