Experts fear the arrival of a new variant in Greater Montreal

According to experts from the National Institute of Public Health of Quebec (INSPQ) and Laval University, a new variant of COVID-19 will disrupt the situation in Greater Montreal in the coming months.

INSPQ experts studied several scenarios to predict the evolution of the pandemic.

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Fall is decisive because the season is favorable for meetings.

The majority of Quebecers have hybrid immunity; They were vaccinated and they caught COVID-19.

The evolution of the condition depends on maintaining this type of immunity.

“In the future, the size of subsequent waves will depend, in part, on maintaining this shield against new variants,” explained the director of the Institute’s Mathematical Modeling and Health Economics Research Group for Infectious Diseases. Laval University, Marc Brisson, in a press release.

“However, it is currently impossible to predict when a new variant other than the BA.4 or BA.5 will arrive in Quebec and what its features will be,” he added.

According to INSPQ, the virus continues to mutate and new variants can escape hybrid immunity.

“Even if there are few new types, the large number of cases can cause significant disruption in the community and pressure on the health system, Scientific Director, Direction of Biological Risks at the National Institute of Public Health. Quebec, said from Patricia Hudson. .

Therefore, when a new variant emerges that escapes hybrid immunity, it is important to monitor the level of protection of Quebecers and plan contingency plans.