PHAC Says There Are 51 Detections Of The Omicron Sublineage BA.2 In Canada

The government of Canada has confirmed that a sublineage of Omicron called BA.2 is now in the country but says that more information is still needed to determine if it will become a variant of concern.

In an email statement to Narcity on Wednesday, January 26, the Public Health Agency of Canada said that they are aware of 51 detections of the BA.2 variant in Canada, which they say are mainly from international travellers.

They also note that BA.2 has many similarities to BA.1 (Omicron), which "became dominant in Canada and around the world in a matter of weeks following its identification in November 2021."

"BA.2 does exhibit some differences from BA.1, including some mutations that may affect transmissibility, detection and possibly immune escape," PHAC wrote. "There is very limited evidence at present to determine how impactful the differences between BA.1 an BA.2 may be, hence the ongoing efforts by PHAC scientists to monitor cases here in Canada and track developments internationally."

In order to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and variants, PHAC says that vaccination is key as well as a combination of public health and individual measures to keep everyone safe.

On Tuesday, January 25, the director-general of the World Health Organization warned that Omicron might not be the last variant we see.

"On the contrary, globally the conditions are ideal for more variants to emerge," said Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

In terms of ending the pandemic, he advised that 70% of every country's population must be fully vaccinated by mid-2022 with a particular focus on people who are most at risk.

Health Canada has a robust website with all the latest information on COVID-19 vaccines and can answer any questions you may have.

This article's cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.