The BC Centre for Disease Control has detected Canada's first known case of a new COVID-19 variant that has swiftly circled the globe, in what one expert says is a reminder the virus never went away.
The centre said the BA. 2.86 variant of the Omicron strain was identified in a person from the Fraser Health region who hadn't recently been outside the province.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control says the new strain may be more capable of infecting people who have previously had COVID-19 or have received COVID-19 vaccines, compared to previous strains.
Dr. Brian Conway, an infectious diseases specialist and medical director of the Vancouver Infectious Diseases Centre, said in an interview Thursday that the variant has likely been in circulation for weeks if not months.
"It's the evolution of COVID," he said. "It doesn't surprise me."
Conway said BA. 2.86 may not cause more severe illness but transmits more easily than other strains of the disease.
COVID-19 is still killing roughly four people a day in Canada, Conway said, pointing to Health Canada data showing 30 COVID-related deaths in the past week.
Conway said as fall approaches and people spend more time indoors and viruses replicate more easily, "we should, be prepared for an increase in COVID illness, COVID hospitalization and COVID mortality."