Epidemiologist urges return to masking as new subvariants evade immunity

An epidemiologist is urging people to start masking again to stem the spread of COVID-19 as emerging omicron subvariants have mutated to evade immunity from vaccination and infection better than previous strains.

The highly transmissible omicron subvariant BA.5 remains most common in New Brunswick and across the country.

But dr Chris Labos, who is also a cardiologist in Montreal, says other subvariants that are emerging, such as BA.2.75.2 and BQ.1.1, could become the dominant strain, with the potential to power new waves of COVID.

“The question is, well, if these are different enough from BA5, does that mean people will be reinfected? Does this mean that people may become infected more than once? … How much protection do we have from previous infections?

“And that’s still a bit unknown,” said Labos.

A single case of BA.2.75.2 was detected in New Brunswick in September, the Department of Health confirmed earlier this week, although it has not been separately announced or listed in any of the weekly COVIDWatch reports since.

It was included in the samples’ BA.2 percentages, spokesman Adam Bowie said in an emailed statement.

The COVIDWatch report provides a breakdown of the five “major branches of the Omicron variant (i.e. BA.1, BA.2, BA.3, BA.4 and BA.5), each of which may contain subvariants,” he said.

Of the 192 most recently submitted samples for sequencing, 93 percent were BA.5 and 7 percent were BA.4.

Fall refresher shots most important

Labos said the best people can do to protect themselves is get a COVID-19 booster shot this fall.

“While the vaccines may not be 100 percent effective, they are very, very effective.”

Two Omicron-specific boosters are now available in New Brunswick.

Pfizer’s bivalent drug, which targets the original coronavirus, along with Omicron subvariants BA.4 and BA.5, will be offered to people aged 12 and older provided five months have passed since their last dose or infection, the health ministry said on Friday .

The story goes on

Moderna’s bivalent drug, which targets the original virus and the Omicron variant BA.1, has been available since October 11 to people ages 18 and older, provided five months have passed since their last dose or infection. Children aged 12 to 17 who are at higher risk of severe consequences from COVID-19 are also eligible.

Masking is also important, Labos said.

“If we see more and more cases popping up, I would strongly, strongly, strongly urge people to wear masks when they are indoors in a public environment … and breathe the same air with a bunch of other people for a longer period of time” , he says.

“In terms of all the things we could do to prevent COVID — you know, isolation periods, making sure people are on sick leave, updating the ventilation status of buildings to make sure there’s good indoor air quality — all of that Things are important, but they’re expensive and hard to get done.”

Wearing a mask is an inexpensive, simple procedure that requires little effort, he said, comparing it to wearing gloves. Still, “it makes a big difference,” he said.

“I think that’s going to be key for public health messaging now, it’s about emphasizing something that has been true all along but in the news and in some of the maybe unwarranted optimism that some have , is a little lost that people have felt over the summer.”