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home / 世界杯决赛2022

covid-19: at least 12 cases of new kraken subvariant detected in b.c.

health officials say the new variant, which has been detected in the vancouver coastal and fraser health regions, may spread more easily.

by tiffany crawford

jan 6 2023
read time 3 minute read
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kraken, a variant of the virus that causes covid-19 that has been sweeping through the u.s., is in b.c.
the provincial health services authority has confirmed that as of late wednesday there are at least 12 cases of kraken, or xbb.1.5 — a subvariant of omicron and a variant of concern — in the province. that’s up from the five cases reported tuesday.
the cases have all been detected in the vancouver coastal health and fraser health regions, according to the b.c. cdc.
“it is important to note that these numbers are not reflective of all positive cases in the province. pcr testing is used primarily in health-care settings, such as hospitals, to identify people who are more likely to experience severe illness from covid-19. pcr tests are needed to sequence the covid-19 virus to identify variants,” the b.c. cdc said in an email.
xbb1.5 is of concern because it has acquired additional mutations that enhances its ability to bind to and thus enter human cells. these mutations may indicate that this variant is able to spread more easily, but does not necessarily mean that the resulting illness is more severe, according to the b.c. cdc.
meanwhile, in weekly data from the b.c. centre for disease control released thursday, there were 13 deaths related to covid-19 and a drop in the number of people in intensive care.
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because of delays in reporting covid-related deaths, especially over the holiday season, that number is expected to increase as more data is relayed to the centre for disease control.
the number of people in hospital who tested positive for the virus is up slightly to 356 patients.
the latest numbers are for the week of dec. 25 to 31, except hospitalizations and icu numbers, which are current as of thursday.
the centre didn’t release data last week, but a situation report says 46 people died during the week of dec. 18 to 24 who had tested positive for covid-19 within 30 days of their deaths.
getting vaccinated with all recommended doses continues to be important for preventing severe illness from covid-19, according to the phsa. it is also vital to stay home if feeling unwell.
kraken was responsible for 40 per cent of the confirmed covid cases in the u.s. last week, and 75 per cent of cases in the northeastern states.

horacio bach, an adjunct professor of infectious diseases at ubc and researcher of vaccines, told postmedia this week that kraken has a way of binding to cells that is particularly tight, making it harder to get rid of. he said those who have not been vaccinated or have had only one jab will be more prone to getting sick from the virus.

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he is also concerned about long covid, of which not much is yet known since covid has only been around since late 2019. and nothing is known of how kraken will affect long covid.
bach said somewhere between 20 and 30 per cent of those who catch covid suffer from long-term effects.
ticrawford@postmedia.com
— with files from gordon mcintyre and joseph ruttle
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