Alberta has reported its very first case of B1617, a Covid-19 variant that is causing the cases in India to skyrocket.
On Thursday, the province recorded 1,857 new cases and verified that an additional 1,326 cases were linked to foreign variants, which are of great concern.
According to a report, the B1617 first struck Denmark, although it’s also been reported in California. At the moment, it’s the strain responsible for the rapid spread of the virus happening in India.
Dr. Deena Hinshaw, the chief medical officer of health in Alberta, gave this report when speaking at a news conference on Thursday.
Hinshaw remarked that it has not yet been determined whether the B1617 variant causes more infections than the other variants of interest, which have already been reported in Alberta.
Currently, the number of active cases in this province stands at 19,182, with variants accounting for 60% of these.
About 518 individuals are being treated for the virus in hospitals, and this includes 116 who are under intensive care.
Hinshaw revealed that they’ve also not determined whether the vaccines approved so far can be used to offer protection against the B1617 variant.
She did, however, reiterate that the best way to protect yourself from all types of Coronavirus strains is by adhering to public health protocols. These measures include wearing masks, physical distancing, and staying indoors for those who feel unwell.
She urged those individuals who qualify for the vaccine to register for the first dose.
Six more people lost their lives to the pandemic on Thursday, bringing the total number of deaths in this area to 2,054.
