The Northwestern Health Unit has been notified of more COVID-19 variants of concern, including the region’s first Brazilian variant.
The Brazilian variant was found in a sample from a resolved case in the Dryden area.
Cases of the UK variant have also been seen in the Sioux Lookout, Dryden, Kenora, Fort Frances and Atikokan health hubs.
NWHU says they are currently aware of active UK variant cases in Kenora, Fort Frances and Atikokan, but stress other variant cases may be in other communities as lab identification of variants is not possible for some samples.
“We have not seen any further spread from the Brazilian variant in the region, however, the UK variant is common in Ontario and further spread in our region is likely if prevention measures are not followed”, said Medical Officer of Health Dr. Kit Young Hoon.
All COVID-19 prevention measures protect from variants of concern and although variants spread more easily, the health unit says they spread in the same way as the non-variant form of COVID-19.
“You can prevent a COVID-19 infection by staying 2 metres away from anyone you do not live with and by only gathering with your household members. By doing so, we will lower case numbers and should begin to see some restrictions being lifted”, explained Dr. Young Hoon.
Since January 2021, the NWHU catchment area has had 56 positive lab results with confirmed variant of concern.
All lab results that are positive for COVID-19 are sent to be tested further for variants however, cases are often no longer infectious by the time results are known.
As per Ministry of Health guidelines, the health unit says all cases in the NWHU region are treated as variants out of precaution.
