Canada detects first case of Brazilian coronavirus variant in Toronto; man hospitalised

Health officials in Toronto, Sunday, detected the Brazilian variant of COVID-19 in a patient, making Canada's first identified case of the more virulent mutant strain. The COVID-19 positive resident, who had returned from Brazil, was hospitalized at Toronto Public Health (TPH). In a statement, Canada’s TPH said that the South African coronavirus variant was found in Canada's largest city for the first time, although, the variant had been previously detected elsewhere in Canada. "Scientists and medical professionals are concerned that the variant of COVID-19 detected in Canada is more transmissible than the original coronavirus," Toronto Public Health said in a statement.

Meanwhile, in an official remark from Toronto City Hall, Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Eileen de Villa, said: “It was inevitable the variants of concern would emerge in Toronto. The UK variant – B.1.1.7 – is confirmed. Screening indicates the South African variant B.1.351 and the Brazilian variant P.1 are here too.” De Villa stated that Canada was in a position of “great uncertainty” with respect to variants, calling the situation “alarming.”  Citing the death projections by the Centre for Disease modelling at York University due to the Brazilian variant, the medical officer of health stated, “variants of concern become the dominant strain in Toronto there is an even greater likelihood of case counts increasing, given increased transmissibility is proven by science to be true.”

Read: Brazil COVID Variant Already In UK, Confirms Top Scientist Prof Wendy Barclay

Read: Gov. João Doria Criticises Brazil's Federal Govt Over Coronavirus Response

"The threat of COVID-19 has not gone away and unfortunately, lifting of restrictions will not make it go away. Decisions to reopen do not come with guarantees – except that cases of COVID-19 will rise when we interact again more frequently," Medical Officer of Health, Dr Eileen de Villa said at Toronto Hall address.

"I understand the value of preparing for the time we can lift restrictions. From a public health perspective in Toronto, that time is not now," she added. 

Deaths projected to rise beyond 9,200

Further, she informed that by May 2021, based on transmission rates seen in Toronto in January, the fatalities will rise to almost 5,500. If transmission increased by 10 per cent, the model finds Toronto’s death toll would rise to slightly more than 9,200 fatalities, de Villa said. The more transmissible variants of the coronavirus were first detected in Britain, South Africa, and Brazil and were dubbed as "variants of concern" by the World Health Organization (WHO). Canada's national microbiology lab has to date reported 23 cases of the B117 virus variant first identified in the UK and two cases of the variant first reported in South Africa, via genome sequencing. 

Read: US: First Case Of Brazil Coronavirus Variant Identified In Minnesota

Read: Minnesota Case Marks 1st Detection Of Brazil Variant In US