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From mu to C.1.2, here are the latest coronavirus variants scientists are watching closely – CBC.ca

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Scientists have warned the coronavirus will keep evolving as it spreads around the world, and there are now multiple new variants being watched closely by global research teams.

One of those, B.1.621, also known as mu, has been dubbed the latest variant of interest by the World Health Organization (WHO). Another, C.1.2, is the subject of headline-making new research exploring how it behaves. Other variants are likely waiting in the wings, yet to be detected.

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So why do these new variants matter, what are they capable of, and how much should Canadians care?

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Right now, the highly-contagious delta variant — deemed a variant of concern by the WHO back in May — is dominating Canada’s COVID-19 cases, making up more than 90 per cent of reported recent infections according to federal data.

But that doesn’t mean other emerging variants don’t warrant close observation. 

“Looking at this virus, it’s obvious that we will have new variants,” said Alyson Kelvin, a virologist at the Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization (VIDO) at the University of Saskatchewan. 

“What we need to do is to be ready for identifying cases … as well as other variants that are inevitably going to start emerging around the world.” 

Here’s what Canadians need to know:

What is the B.1.621 — or mu — variant?

B.1.621 is the latest variant of interest, according to the WHO, and was given the designation — and a catchier Greek alphabet-based name, “mu” — on August 30.

“The mu variant has a constellation of mutations that indicate potential properties of immune escape,” reads the WHO’s latest weekly epidemiological update.

That means those with some level of immunity to earlier strains, either by previous infection or vaccination, might be susceptible to infection from mu — but that’s only according to preliminary data and “needs to be confirmed by further studies,” the update continued.

People line up outside a vaccination centre in Melbourne, Australia, in August as the city experiences its sixth lockdown while battling an outbreak of the delta variant of the coronavirus. (William West/AFP/Getty Images)

The variant was first detected in Colombia back in January, and since then, the country has experienced hundreds of cases and the variant has also been reported in 39 other countries around the world.

Here in Canada, it’s barely making a splash: Mu cases have been reported for weeks, but so far, the variant hasn’t made up more than three per cent of cases in any given week and recently totalled just 0.3 per cent — though federal data since mid-July is still accumulating and could change.

What is the C.1.2 variant?

The variant C.1.2 isn’t deemed a variant of interest or concern yet by the WHO, but researchers are pushing the organization to watch it closely.

A team of scientists from South Africa detected the new variant, which was first observed in May and has since spread to seven other countries in Africa, Europe, Asia and Oceania, according to a preprint study that hasn’t yet been peer-reviewed.

“It’s still not clear where this came from,” noted Dr. Zain Chagla, an infectious diseases specialist with McMaster University in Hamilton. “It was first identified in South Africa but people need to know that South Africa has actually quite good sequencing networks and so it may not be the origin.”

A health-care worker fills a syringe with a dose of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine in Bogota, Colombia, on Aug. 15. The country first detected the mu variant back in January. (Luisa Gonzalez/Reuters)

Richard Lessells, an infectious disease specialist and one of the authors of the research on C.1.2, told Reuters the variant may have even more immune-evasion properties than delta, based on its pattern of mutations, and that the findings had been flagged to the WHO.

However, it’s not known yet if the variant is actually more contagious, or more capable of evading the immunity provided by either vaccines or a prior coronavirus infection.

“These things need time to see,” Chagla said. “Delta is incredibly fit, and incredibly virulent and replaces [other strains] aggressively. We still haven’t seen suggestions of this yet [with C.1.2].” 

WATCH | Herd immunity harder to achieve thanks to variants, says government scientist:

Herd immunity harder to achieve now because of new variants, says government scientist

1 month ago

Speaking with Power & Politics, Chief Science Advisor of Canada Mona Nemer says that collective immunity is a moving target but will be difficult to achieve due to the emergence of new COVID variants. 2:02

How worried should Canadians be right now?

Given that delta makes up the lion’s share of Canada’s COVID-19 cases and there’s still much we don’t know about mu or C.1.2 — concerns over emerging variants need to be put into context.

Chagla said it’s important to keep studying and monitoring the C.1.2 variant, but “there’s no need for panic yet.”

There has been an increased spread of C.1.2, and it’s a rising percentage of sequenced cases in various countries outside of South Africa, Chagla said, but nothing on the scale of delta and it remains to be seen if we’ll experience more global spread. 

“It’s still not clear whether or not that just means there’s a lot of local spread amongst particular groups that just seems to be over-represented — or if it’s a legitimate growth pattern,” he added.

“We still don’t know, if you put things in the same pool, whether or not delta is going to be much more virulent.” 

Chagla says that much like other variants that have emerged over the course of the pandemic — including variants of concern like alpha, beta, lambda and, now, mu — they could either be overtaken by delta or “burn themselves out over time.” 

“Right now, it seems that there aren’t a large number of cases for [C.1.2],” Kelvin said. “But now that we have this identified, then surveillance centres around the world can start to determine, are they seeing numbers of these cases as well?” 

To figure out how often variant cases are appearing here, the Public Health Agency of Canada works with the provinces, territories, and the Canadian COVID-19 Genomics Network to sequence a percentage of all positive COVID-19 test results.

Sequencing reveals the genetic code of the virus, showing which variant was involved in a specific case of COVID-19, and those results are reported each week




Why do new variants matter in the global fight against COVID-19?

New variants have emerged throughout the pandemic in populations with low vaccine coverage that have been hit hard by unchecked COVID-19 transmission — including India, South America and Africa — and experts say this trend is likely to continue until more of the world is vaccinated.

“This is an incredibly big reminder — even if this is a false alarm — of what global vaccine equity means,” said Chagla. 

“Many of us starting to see the delta wave in Sub-Saharan Africa were very, very worried about what could come of that.”

WATCH | WHO calls for vaccine equity:

WHO comments on need for global COVID-19 vaccine equity

4 months ago

People in wealthier countries are getting vaccinated at a much faster rate than those in poorer countries despite efforts by the World Health Organization and the international community to make COVID-19 vaccine accessibility equitable around the world. 2:04

Chagla says the region has low vaccination levels, poor quality healthcare systems and a large population of immunocompromised individuals, with rates of HIV in some countries as high as 15 to 20 per cent of the adult population.

“That was kind of a mixing pot of bad scenarios to lead to the development of a variant … so I don’t think we can be surprised to see that something seems to have shown up,” he said. 

“And we kind of just watch it happen in that sense, and we continue to watch it happen.”

It’s also clear these variants don’t stay put.

Even if they emerge in one area of the world, cases later appear elsewhere — meaning other countries, including Canada, are eventually impacted yet again by this ever-evolving virus.


Have questions about this story? We’re answering as many as we can in the comments.


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Measles case reported locally turns out to be negative: health unit

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NEWS RELEASE
SIMCOE MUSKOKA DISTRICT HEALTH UNIT
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On March 26, the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit (SMDHU) was notified by Public Health Ontario’s (PHO) laboratory that due to laboratory error, the case of measles that had been lab-confirmed positive on March 12, based on symptoms and a positive urine measles laboratory result by PHO’s laboratory, is in fact negative for the measles virus.

“With this new information of the negative lab result, we believe that that individual was not infected with measles and that there has not been any public exposure to measles resulting from this individual’s illness,” said Dr. Charles Gardner, medical officer of health. “We recognize that notifying the public of what we believed to be a positive measles case in our area created worry, anxiety and disruption for some, and we regret this.

“We do know that, despite best efforts, on rare occasions laboratory errors can occur. We are working closely with the PHO’s laboratory to do all that we can to ensure that such an incident does not occur again.”

Measles is a highly contagious viral infection that spreads very easily through airborne transmission. The measles virus can live in the air or on surfaces for up to two hours.

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Symptoms of measles begin seven to 21 days after exposure and include fever, runny nose, cough, drowsiness, and red eyes. Small white spots appear on the inside of the mouth and throat but are not always present. Three to seven days after symptoms begin, a red, blotchy rash appears on the face and then progresses down the body.

The risk of transmission to those vaccinated with two doses is low, and when it does occur tends to show a reduction in the severity of these symptoms.

“Although we are relieved for the individual involved, and for all Simcoe-Muskoka residents, that this case has now been confirmed as negative, we know that measles is still active in Ontario at this time and the potential remains for new cases to arise, especially given the increase in Ontarians travelling to areas in the world that have higher numbers of measles cases,” said Dr. Gardner. “This is why we continue to advise individuals to keep up to date with their routine immunizations, including measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccination.”

The risk of measles is low for people who have been fully immunized with two doses of measles vaccine or those born before 1970; however, many children have been delayed in receiving their routine childhood immunizations and people who have not had two doses of measles vaccine are at higher risk of contracting the disease.

People who do get sick usually recover without treatment, but measles can be more severe for infants, pregnant women, and those with compromised immune systems. Possible complications include middle-ear infections, pneumonia, diarrhea, or encephalitis (swelling of the brain) and occasionally death in the very young. Even individuals who are up to date with the measles vaccine should watch for symptoms of measles for 21 days after exposure.

For more information about measles, please visit smdhu.org or call Health Connection at 705-721-7520 or 1-877-721-7520, Monday to Friday between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. to speak with a public health professional.

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Kate Middleton Not Alone. Cancer On Rise For People Under 50, Say Experts

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Kate Middleton revealed on Friday that her cancer was discovered after she received abdominal surgery

London:

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When Catherine, Princess of Wales, revealed she was being treated for cancer last week, part of the shock was that an otherwise healthy 42-year-old has a disease that mostly plagues older people.

However, researchers have been increasingly sounding the alarm that more and more people under 50 are getting cancer — and no one knows why.

Across the world, the rate of under-50s diagnosed with 29 common cancers surged by nearly 80 percent between 1990 and 2019, a large study in BMJ Oncology found last year.

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The researchers predicted the number of new cancer cases among younger adults will rise another 30 percent by the end of this decade, with wealthy countries particularly affected.

The increase in cases — and soaring global population — means that the number of deaths among under 50s from cancer has risen by nearly 28 percent over the last 30 years.

This occurred even as the odds of people of all ages surviving cancer have roughly doubled over the last half century.

Shivan Sivakumar, a cancer researcher at the UK’s University of Birmingham, called it an “epidemic” of young adult cancer.

Since Kate Middleton revealed on Friday that her cancer was discovered after she received abdominal surgery earlier this year, Sivakumar and other doctors have spoken out about the uptick in younger cancer patients they have been seeing at their clinics.

While breast cancer remains the most common for people under 50, the researchers expressed particular concern about the rise of gastrointestinal cancers — such as of the colon, pancreas, liver and oesophagus — in younger adults.

Colon cancer is now the leading cause of cancer deaths in men under 50 in the United States, according to the American Cancer Society. For women, it is number two — behind only breast cancer.

One high profile case of colorectal cancer was “Black Panther” actor Chadwick Boseman, who died at the age of 43 in 2020.

Why is this happening?

“We just don’t have the evidence yet” to say exactly what is causing this rise, Sivakumar told AFP, adding it was likely a combination of factors.

Helen Coleman, a cancer epidemiology professor at Queen’s University Belfast who has studied early onset cancer in Northern Ireland, told AFP there were two potential explanations.

One is that people in their 40s were exposed to factors known to cause cancer — such tobacco smoke, alcohol or being obese — at an earlier age than previous generations.

She pointed out that the “obesity epidemic” did not start until the 1980s.

Sivakumar felt that at least part of the puzzle could be explained by obesity.

However, there is “another wave” of under-50 patients who are neither obese nor genetically predisposed still getting cancer, he emphasised, adding that this could not be put down to “statistical chance”.

The other theory, Coleman said, is that “something different” has been going on with her generation.

Fingers have been pointed out a range of possible culprits — including chemicals, new drugs and microplastics — but none have been proven.

Some have suggested that so-called ultra-processed foods could be to blame. “But there’s very little data to back any of that up,” Coleman said.

Another theory is that the food we eat could be changing our gut microbiome.

While there is nothing conclusive yet, Coleman said her own research suggested that cancer causes changes to the microbiome, not the other way around.

Anti-vaxx conspiracy theorists have even tried to blame Covid-19 vaccines.

This is easily disproven, because the rise in young adult cancer has taken place over decades, but the vaccines have only been around for a few years.

What can be done?

To address the rise in younger colorectal cancer, in 2021 the US lowered the recommended age for screening to 45. Other countries have yet to follow suit.

But the researchers hoped that Catherine’s experience would remind people at home that they should consult their doctor if they sense anything is wrong.

“People know their bodies really well,” Sivakumar said.

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“If you really feel that something isn’t right, don’t delay — just get yourself checked out.”

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Almost 3,000 students suspended in Waterloo Region over immunization issues

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Close to 3,000 children attending elementary school across Waterloo Region were suspended from school on Wednesday morning for not having up-to-date immunization records.

The region says Waterloo Public Health suspended 2,969 students under the Immunization of School Pupils Act (ISPA).

For several months, the region has been campaigning for people to get their children’s vaccinations up to date, including sending letters home to parents on a couple of occasions, warning that students’ records needed to be up to date or they would be suspended.

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It announced in January that 32,000 students did not have up-to-date records: 22,000 elementary students and 10,000 high school students.


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“We have made remarkable progress from the original 27,567 immunization notices we sent to parents in November and December 2023,” Dr. Hsiu-Li Wang, medical officer of health, stated.

“Since that time, we have resolved more than 24,500 outdated vaccination records, providing students with valuable protection against these serious and preventable diseases.”

The high school students still have a few weeks to get their records up to date or else face suspension.

The ISPA requires students to have proof-of-vaccination records for diphtheria, polio, tetanus, pertussis, measles, mumps, rubella, varicella (chickenpox) and meningitis, which must be on file with public health.

Public health says caregivers whose children are suspended will need to book an appointment at regionofwaterloo.ca/vaccines for clinics, which will be held in Cambridge and Waterloo on weekdays.

“Given the high number of suspensions, it may take several days before you can be seen at an appointment and return your child to school,” a release from the region warns.

“Record submission and questions must be done in person to ensure immediate resolution.”

The last time suspensions over immunizations were issued was in 2019, when 1,032 students were suspended.

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