a new covid-19 variant gaining ground in saskatchewan is renewing the urgency of getting vaccines into arms, according to one epidemiologist.
dr. nazeem muhajarine said the delta variant, first detected in india, will be “an important one to watch” as the province begins pivoting to giving residents the second of their two covid-19 vaccine doses.
“we don’t have a full knowledge of the spread of the delta variant in canada, and that is my concern,” said the university of saskatchewan professor.
the province’s two biggest testing labs are now screening every positive sample of covid-19 for the delta variant. since mid-may, genetic sequencing has identified 45 cases in saskatchewan, most in regina and saskatoon.
“it is important to note that as of right now, the majority of cases related to the delta variant are imported from travel,” medical health officer dr. johnmark opondo said in a statement.
opondo said officials continue to look for community spread of that variant; its relative resistance to some covid-19 vaccines has sparked concern.
“it’s primarily the experience in the uk that is ringing the alarm bells,” dr. andrew cameron said.
cameron, an associate professor of biology at the university of regina, has been working with researchers across the country to parse through sars-cov-2’s genetic makeup and understand variants of the virus that spread faster and hit harder.