Health officials say 51 cases of Omicron BA. 2 variant detected in Canada

More than 50 cases of a new Omicron subvariant, known as BA. 2, have been detected in Canada, says the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC).

In an emailed statement to the Star on Wednesday, PHAC said they are aware of 51 detections of the BA. 2 variant, mainly from international travelers.

The Omicron variant, or B1.1.529, includes descendants including BA. 1, BA. 1.1, BA. 2 and BA. 3, according to research from the World Health Organization (WHO) tracking SARS-CoV-2 variants.

The WHO has not labeled BA. 2 as a “variant of concern,” though scientists around the world have been keeping tabs on it, and it has been detected in at least 40 countries, including the United States.

“While the impacts of all variants continue to be monitored in Canada, the Government of Canada knows that vaccination, in combination with public health and individual measures, is key to reducing the spread of COVID-19 and its variants,” they said.

BA. 2 is widely considered stealthier than the original version of Omicron because particular genetic traits make it somewhat harder to detect. Some scientists worry it could also be more contagious.

Still, there are a lot of unknowns, including whether BA. 2 evades vaccines better or causes more severe disease.

PHAC said there is currently “very limited evidence” to determine how impactful the differences between BAs are. 1 and BA. 2 may be, and they are “closely monitoring” the genetic variants of the virus that causes COVID-19.

“(The Government of Canada) is continuing to work with international partners, including the World Health Organization (WHO), to better understand these variants and their impact,” they said.

What does the emergence of this variant mean for people who had a previous Omicron infection?

“People who get infected with Omicron or any other variant are going, in most cases, to have some immunity that comes out of that,” Angela Rasmussen, a research scientist and adjunct professor at the University of Saskatchewan, recently told the Star.

But immunity will vary a lot and it’s not clear how long it will last.

Vaccinations produce an immune response that is more “reliable” in terms of the number of antibodies to fight off the virus that are produced and how long they last, Rasmussen said.

More to come …