Doctors say Omicron subvariant a sign ‘pandemic is not over yet’ – CBC

Restrictions appear to have been removed prematurely: doctors

Mar 23, 2022

Nearly a month has passed since COVID restrictions in Saskatchewan were fully lifted, ushering in what many have regarded as a return to normal, but experts warn the BA.2 subvariant of Omicron is a sign the pandemic hasn’t passed yet.

BA.2 has become more concerning because of a recent uptick in cases in multiple countries and is believed to be behind rising COVID-19 case numbers in Saskatchewan.

“This pandemic is not over yet,” said Dr. Cory Neudorf, public health and epidemiology professor at the University of Saskatchewan.

Researchers at the University of Saskatchewan analyzing Saskatoon’s wastewater found a 66 per cent increase in evidence of COVID-19 in the most recent weekly samples. BA.2 made up 34.1 per cent of viral load in Saskatoon. In a Regina study, BA.2 appeared in 37 per cent of the samples.

“With BA.2 making its way, that could also accelerate things so that what would have been a shoulder or a delayed decline in this wave could now become a second peak in many parts of Canada,” Neudorf said.

Read more: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatchewan/omicron-subvariant-ba2-1.6393804