A healthy lifestyle can mitigate genetic risk for early death by 62%, study suggests
Even if your genetics put you at greater risk for early death, a healthy lifestyle could help you significantly combat it, according to a new study.
A fully vaccinated 62-year-old male who travelled from Canada to Hong Kong is confirmed to be the second case of the COVID-19 Omicron variant identified there by authorities, according to information released by Hong Kong’s Centre for Health Protection of the Department of Health.
The traveller arrived in Hong Kong from Vancouver on November 10, aboard Air Canada flight AC007, and began showing symptoms on November 17. He tested positive the next day, after originally testing negative on November 12 and 14.
A spokesperson for Global Affairs confirmed that he is not a Canadian citizen, but said they have no further details on the individual.
Health officials in Hong Kong previously stated that the traveller contracted the virus from another traveller who arrived from South Africa on flight QR818 via Qatar and was staying on the same floor at the Regal Airport Hotel.
Both guests were under compulsory quarantine after arriving from abroad and stayed in rooms that were located opposite to one another. The other traveller, a 36-year-male who arrived on November 11, was seen wearing a valved mask, which does not filter air that is breathed out by the wearer. He tested positive two days after his arrival, on November 13, but was asymptomatic.
The identical genetic sequences of the two samples suggested the cases were epidemiologically linked, officials said, prompting further investigation. Twenty five out of 87 environmental samples collected from the hotel rooms and in the common area of the corridor on that floor tested positive, with the majority of the positive samples coming from the room of the traveller from Canada and the remainder from the room of the traveller from South Africa. As an extra precaution, a dozen other guests who stayed in nearby rooms were sent to a quarantine centre for a mandatory 14 days in isolation.
Both individuals who tested positive with the new variant were fully vaccinated with Pfizer-BioNTech’s Comirnaty vaccine, according to Hong Kong health officials. In both cases, the two doses were administered in Hong Kong about three to three-and-a-half weeks apart in the spring.
Canada’s chief public health officer Dr. Theresa Tam said last Friday that officials would follow up with counterparts in Hong Kong regarding the case.
"It is most likely that this individual caught it elsewhere [than Canada], but never say never," Tam said. "We want to just follow up to see if anything that we need to trace back to in Canada from that particular traveller."
Air Canada redirected questions on whether they have reached out to any passengers on the flight to government health authorities.
“They are responsible and have the authority for handling cases involving recently arrived travellers, including determining if contact tracing is necessary,” said Peter Fitzpatrick in an email, adding that there have been no known cases of onboard transmissions, according to government officials and studies on flight transmissions.
“For our part, our highly effective safety measures remain fully in effect.”
AC007 flies out of Vancouver International Airport and typically has a connection through South Korea’s Incheon International Airport, according to flight schedules.
While it is unclear where Omicron first emerged, it was first identified by scientists in South Africa who alerted the World Health Organization last week. The UN health agency designated it as a “variant of concern” and said that preliminary evidence suggested “an increased risk of reinfection.”
The new variant is believed to be behind a recent spike in cases in parts of South Africa and has already been confirmed in travellers to a number of countries including Canada. Two cases were identified over the weekend in Ottawa in two individuals who had recently travelled from Nigeria, while Quebec also confirmed its first case on Monday.
Even if your genetics put you at greater risk for early death, a healthy lifestyle could help you significantly combat it, according to a new study.
Knowing what to have at home, or take with you for an evacuation, can be useful and even life-saving.
The BC NDP have tabled legislation aimed at stopping people who have committed certain heinous acts from changing their names.
Ellen DeGeneres is reflecting on how her talk show came to an end in her newest Netflix special, 'Ellen's Last Stand ... Up Tour.'
Colorado Avalanche forward Valeri Nichushkin was suspended for at least six months without pay and placed in Stage 3 of the league's player assistance program.
New research out of London, Ont.'s Western University is shedding light on a potential cure for ALS, in which the targeting of the interaction between two proteins can halt or fully reverse the disease's progression.
Police have released a three-dimensional image of a young child whose remains were discovered in the Grand River in Dunnville, Ont. almost two years ago.
Edwin Mostered spent thousands of dollars booking a vacation home in Whistler, B.C., for a group skiing trip earlier this year – or so he thought.
U.S. Vice-President Kamala Harris used a profanity on Monday while offering advice to young Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders about how to break through barriers.
Two daughters and a mother were reunited online 40 years later thanks to a DNA kit and a Zoom connection despite living on three separate continents and speaking different languages.
Mother's Day can be a difficult occasion for those who have lost or are estranged from their mom.
YES Theatre Young Company opened its acclaimed kids’ show, One Small Step, at Sudbury Theatre Centre on Saturday.
An Ottawa pizzeria is being recognized as one of the top 20 deep-dish pizzas in the world.
A family of fifth generation farmers from Ituna, Sask. are trying to find answers after discovering several strange objects lying on their land.
A Listowel, Ont. man, drafted by the Hamilton Tigercats last week, is also getting looks from the NFL, despite only playing 27 games of football in his life.
The threat of zebra mussels has prompted the federal government to temporarily ban watercraft from a Manitoba lake popular with tourists.
A small Ajax dessert shop that recently received a glowing review from celebrity food critic Keith Lee is being forced to move after a zoning complaint was made following the social media influencer’s visit last month.
The Canada Science and Technology Museum is inviting visitors to explore their poop. A new exhibition opens at the Ottawa museum on Friday called, 'Oh Crap! Rethinking human waste.'