Omicron wave exposed, infected 50 per cent of British Columbians: Henry

News conference: Updates to B.C.'s COVID-19 restrictions B.C.'s top doctor updates the media on changes she and Health Minister Adrian Dix are making to the provincial COVID restrictions.

Fifty per cent of British Columbians were exposed to and infected with COVID-19 during the surge in cases driven by the Omicron variant, provincial health officials said Tuesday. The rate among those under 19 years old was higher, at 60 per cent.

The modelling presented was the first indication of how prevalent the virus has been in recent months, as testing has been restricted since capacity was overwhelmed late last year.

Dr. Bonnie Henry explained that the antibodies created by infection are different than those from vaccination, and can be differentiated in blood samples. Those caused by the virus indicate recent infection, because they “tend to fade away over time.”

Henry noted not everyone with the antibodies would have experienced symptoms or even known they had contracted the virus.

“The vast majority of those people are vaccinated. So it is a boost to the vaccine protection that they have already, which is a good thing.

“It means that most people didn't have very severe illness, and they have a bit of a boost to their immunity because they were exposed and infected with the virus. I know some people still got very sick with it, but they didn't end up in hospital, didn't end up in critical care, and that's because they had the protection from the vaccines, whether it was two doses, or more importantly -- three doses.”

Exposure to the virus combined with vaccination has, according to Henry, created a high level of immunity in the provincial population.

Still, Henry stressed, preventing further infections is important. The long-term impacts of the disease can be significant even after were fairly mild cases.

“People who get infected with this virus can develop long symptoms, even if they don't have very severe illness, and long COVID is a very real phenomenon that affects people,” she said.

“We know that this virus can cause inflammation of the heart, inflammation of the lining of the heart, of the blood vessels that can lead to things like strokes, and heart attacks -- that go on for a long time and can leave people with long-lasting effects.”

The figures Henry quoted come from a study done by the BC Centre for Disease Control and Lifelabs that screened samples collected from a representative sample of participants in Vancouver Coastal and Fraser Health.

Henry said research shows that long COVID is far less common among those who are vaccinated. She and Dix repeatedly stressed vaccination as the principal strategy for preventing infection as the remaining provincial public health orders are set to be lifted and fourth doses are being rolled out to those most vulnerable to serious illness.

“We're in a place right now where we have a level of immunity, we have decreasing transmission in our communities, but you need to protect yourself from the risks of this virus, and it will change,” Henry said.

“We've seen that globally, that this virus will change. And so this is our best way of protecting ourselves for now and for the future.”

Tuesday’s briefing also included a change to how rapid tests will be distributed. Showing a care card will no longer be required when picking up a pack of five kits at a pharmacy. In addition, people will no longer be limited to picking up the tests once every 28 days.