The ‘Kraken’ strain of COVID-19 is in B.C. Here’s what we know so far
Posted January 3, 2023 5:31 pm.
Last Updated January 3, 2023 5:51 pm.
A new strain of COVID-19 that has been spreading throughout the world over the past couple of weeks is in British Columbia.
The XBB 1.5 subvariant of Omicron, dubbed “Kraken,” has been spreading throughout parts of Asia and the United States for the past couple of weeks.
The BC Centre for Disease Control says there have been five reported cases of the latest strain as of Tuesday.
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Speaking with CityNews, head of the Vancouver Infectious Disease Centre Dr. Brian Conway, says this latest variant is highly contagious.
“It binds to cells more easily and it’s also a bit resistant to the protection offered by vaccines,” he said.
“It is probably going to dominate the endemic of COVID going forward and it already is in many parts of the world.”
Conway says “Kraken” is more transmissible, but says there is no evidence showing it causes more severe illness. However, he thinks variants like this will continue to pop up.
“This is what we think will happen going forward as we continue to have COVID in our environment for the foreseeable future,” said Conway.
Moving forward, Conway recommends continuing to use rapid antigen tests if you think you’re sick.
“The more symptoms you have, the more sensitive the tests will be,” he explained. “The best approach if you think you’re infected is to do it once, if you still think you’re infected the next day, do it again. That will increase the pickup rate going forward.”
Despite “Kraken” being more resistant to COVID-19 vaccines, Conway says the shots are still the best way to prevent serious illness.
“The best protection that we have is to go out and get the bivalent shot if you have not yet done so. That’s an excellent new year’s resolution,” he said.
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In response to the rise in illness caused by the latest strain, the Canadian government instituted travel rules for those coming to Canada from China, Hong Kong and Macao. As of Jan. 5, incoming travellers from those locations will have to provide a negative PCR test before entering the country.
However, those rule changes have drawn the ire of one B.C. doctor.
B.C. doctor critical of Canadian travel rules
When asked about the new travel rules the federal government is putting in place, B.C.-based physician Dr. Anna Wolak questioned the intention behind the policy.
“Is the policy to prevent that from coming here? If so, why are we not testing the Americans? Because we know that it is significantly exploding in the U.S. right now,” Wolak said Tuesday.
“This does not make sense because it’s not as if we’re back in 2020 when we were trying to prevent COVID from entering the country.”
Wolak suggests testing wastewater from all incoming airplanes if the intent is to get a handle on the number of COVID cases entering the country.
“We shouldn’t be isolating just to China because we know variants can be developed anywhere in the world,” she said.
But given which countries the federal travel rules are targeting, Wolak says it could exacerbate ongoing issues.
“My biggest concern with this somewhat goal-less policy that is directed at China, Hong Kong, and Macao, it brings us back to March 2020 when there was a rise of anti-Asian hate. And we still haven’t quelled that since it started rising,” she said.
“It will make things harder for a lot of the Asian population in Canada and in the world.”
-With files from Martin MacMahon and OMNI News
