21 cases of Omicron subvariant XBB.1.5 detected in Canada: Public Health Agency

As of January 4, 21 cases of the latest Covid-19 XBB.1.5 Omicron subvariant have been detected in the nation, according to The Public Health Agency of Canada.

The update for Canada comes as the subvariant continues to grow in its neighbour, the US. US-based experts are opining that the XBB.1.5 subvariant may possess a higher resistance to antibodies than previous strains of the virus.

In Early December, the subvariant constituted about 1.3 % of all COVID-19 cases in the U.S. By the end of the same month, the subvariant took up a whopping 40 % of cases in the U.S, nearly doubling in the last week, the US CDC stated.

In Canada, however, The Public Health Agency of Canada stated that it continues to monitor XBB.1.5 subvariant, among other strains of the virus, but does not see a pattern similar to the US.

“PHAC scientists continue to monitor cases in Canada and track developments internationally,” the PHAC assured.

While not much is yet known about the subvariant, the World Health Organisation, in a statement on October 19, stated about the Covid-19 subvariant, “Available preliminary laboratory-based evidence suggests that XBB is the most antibody-evasive SARS-CoV-2 variant identified to date.”

The World Health Organisation also noted back in October 2022 that while data did not suggest that XBB and its sublineages were causing more severe disease, the risk of reinfection appeared to be higher with the Omicron subvariant.

“XBB.1.5 is currently considered to be only detected sporadically…As data rolls in, growth rates can be more accurately estimated,” stated the PHAC to media outlets.