‘It is a concern’: 12 cases of XBB.1.5 COVID-19 variant found in B.C. – CTV

Jan. 5, 2023

The number of lab-confirmed cases of the new “Kraken” COVID-19 variant has more than doubled over the last week in British Columbia, according to the provincial health officer.

In a one-on-one interview with CTV News, Dr. Bonnie Henry said there were 12 “isolations” of the XBB.1.5 Omicron sub-variant identified through lab testing as of Wednesday, compared to just five last week.

“It is a concern. This virus changes, that’s what we know,” she said. “I expect we’ll see some more but it’s still a very small percentage, so we’re not seeing that rapid takeoff that we’ve seen in some places in the U.S., for example.”

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control estimated 1.3 per cent of all COVID-19 cases in that country were XBB.1.5 in early December, but by the end of the month that had mushroomed to 40 per cent.

Read more: https://bc.ctvnews.ca/it-is-a-concern-12-cases-of-xbb-1-5-covid-19-variant-found-in-b-c-1.6217823