FREDERICTON — Health officials in New Brunswick say the new Omicron subvariant of the novel coronavirus has been detected in the province.
The Dr. Georges-L.-Dumont University Hospital Centre’s microbiology laboratory in Moncton, N.B., identified a sample from a person in the Moncton area as being positive for the Omicron mutation.
This version of the coronavirus, which scientists call BA.2, is widely considered stealthier than the original version of Omicron because particular genetic traits make it somewhat harder to detect. Some scientists worry it could also be more contagious. But they say there’s a lot they still don’t know about it, including whether it evades vaccines better or causes more severe disease.
Dr. Jennifer Russell, chief medical officer of health, said in a statement that vaccination against COVID-19, including booster shots, is the best way of reducing the spread of the virus and the risk of severe outcomes and hospitalizations.
The province reported one more death as a result of COVID-19 — a person in their 80s in the Bathurst region, bringing the total number of deaths since the pandemic began to 252.
The COVID-19 dashboard indicates 163 people are in hospital with the disease, including 17 patients in intensive care.
Officials reported 401 new lab-confirmed cases of COVID-19 on Friday.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 4, 2022.
— With files from The Associated Press.
The Canadian Press
