Dr. Henry urges vigilance and caution as Omicron continues to spread through B.C.

Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry is warning British Columbians that the Omicron variant of COVID-19 is much more infectious than other strains, and asks people to be vigilant and take precautions over the holiday season.

Henry told a news conference on Friday, emerging data from around the world has found Omicron is more infectious than other strains, even for those who have been fully vaccinated.

“We know more about breakthrough infections, and about reinfections, and there’s data that’s showing up from around the world that is showing we can get more breakthrough infections in people who have been fully vaccinated, but they tend to be less severe,” said Henry.

She also warned that data shows people who had been previously infected with COVID-19 are much more likely to be reinfected with Omicron.

B.C. had a reported 975 Omicron cases as of Thursday, with 19 in Interior Health.

Overall COVID case numbers set a new record for the third straight day with 2,046, with 123 in the Interior.

Henry said because of the high transmissibility of the Omicron variant, it’s likely that all British Columbians will be exposed to it at some point.

“What we are seeing is Omicron is much more likely to attach to the upper airways, to those ACE2 receptors in our upper airways, which means it can spread with very small amounts of the virus. It replicates quickly, and it means those smaller particles, those aerosols, are much more important and can spread easier,” said Henry, adding that high rates of transmission will likely be seen in close spaces where people are singing or talking and the ventilation is poor.

She noted that though people are getting infected more quickly, research has shown the incubation period between exposure, getting sick, and being able to pass it to others, is also much shorter than previous strains.

“What we were usually seeing in five to seven days on average is now down to two to three days. So you can pass it on to others even before you realize that you’re positive for the virus,” said Henry.

“We also know that Omicron is spreading faster in people who are not yet vaccinated. We know that because we see that transmission being explosive in some of those settings, and it’s because your immune system has not developed those defenses that are very specific for this virus, for the spike protein, that vaccination gives.”

She asks that anyone who is sick, even if they believe it isn’t COVID, to take precautions and avoid transmitting the illness to other people, especially to those who are unvaccinated or already have health problems.

“Omicron is different. If you have any symptoms, you must assume you have COVID and take measures to avoid passing it on,” said Henry.

“If you are younger and vaccinated and have no other risk factors, you don’t necessarily need a test, you just need to take these actions now. If you are fully vaccinated and have mild symptoms, you should assume you are positive, stay home and stay away from others for seven days.

“If you are not fully vaccinated and don’t have other risk factors, you must isolate for 10 days, and this is because we know that vaccination helps us manage these infections more rapidly so we shed less virus for shorter period of time.”

She also advised people to notify their close contacts if they become symptomatic, and those contacts should monitor themselves for any symptoms for 14 days.

Henry added that, with the speed of the transmission of the variant, the case and contact tracing is falling behind. Because of this, she asks that people be very vigilant and cautious over the holidays.

She acknowledged this may complicate the holidays for many British Columbians, but asked people to be cautious and to limit their activities so as to slow the spread of the virus.

“We need your help to make sure you are taking the actions you need to do, and notifying people around you if you are positive for COVID-19.”

Henry added that it’s still unclear how severe the illnesses linked to the Omicron variant can be. Preliminary findings of research from the United Kingdom and South Africa have shown it to be less severe and require less hospitalization than other strains, which she said is hopeful news, though she added that hasn’t been proven to be the case in B.C. as of yet.