The chief of staff at Windsor Regional Hospital (WRH) says a COVID-19 variant first identified in the U.K. is likely already in Windsor-Essex.
Three cases of the strain have now been identified in Ontario, two in the Durham region and one in Ottawa that have been linked to travel to and from the U.K.. Dr. Wassim Saad says WRH has sent samples of what is believed to be a mutated strain found in local patients to the National Microbiology Lab in Winnipeg.
He says contact-tracing shows the infections are in line with the more easily transmitted strain of COVID-19, but the hospital is waiting on confirmation.
"It was with extremely limited contact with other people," he says. "Residents who are in their home and getting groceries delivered to them and very minimal interactions who all of a sudden acquire the virus."
The mutated strain is likely in Windsor-Essex, according to Dr. Saad.
"Now that we have confirmation it is in Ontario it's almost certain that it's in Windsor as well," says Dr. Saad. "It's just the nature of how quickly this virus spreads."
Saad says the new strain has a mutation in what's called a spike protein — that protein is how the virus attaches itself to cells and the new variant is very efficient.
"Then you don't need 15 minutes anymore, sometimes five minutes of close contact will be enough for that virus to take hold because with the mutation in the spike protein it's able to infect you faster," he added.
He says the virus is still transmitted via water droplets during close contact, so physical distancing and hygiene measures are still effective.
Saad says the only good news so far is symptoms don't appear to be more severe with the new strain and there's no evidence showing vaccines will be any less effective.
Travel to and from the U.K. has been banned since Dec. 20 and will continue through January 6, 2021.
The strain of COVID-19 was first discovered in the United Kingdom, but has now been found in several countries — while it was discovered in Britain, there’s no definitive evidence the variant originated in the U.K.