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Scoop: Manitoba probing why it took 13 days to transfer a COVID-19 sample from its provincial lab to the National Microbiology Lab — just 600 metres away.
That lag delayed finding the first case of the contagious U.K. variant in Manitoba https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/special/coronavirus/travellers-virus-sample-in-limbo-at-lab-for-13-days-573780552.html #wfp
That lag delayed finding the first case of the contagious U.K. variant in Manitoba https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/special/coronavirus/travellers-virus-sample-in-limbo-at-lab-for-13-days-573780552.html #wfp
The sample was collected Jan. 21, and tested for COVID-19 on Jan. 22 at Cadham. But the national lab says it only received the sample on Feb. 4.
The two are one intersection apart:
The two are one intersection apart:
In his Tuesday briefing, Dr. Brent Roussin made no mention of this delay. Scientists questioned the 18-day lag in getting the sample sequenced. Turns out it only took NML four days (two of which were the weekend).
The province will not get into details about the household's quarantine plan, citing privacy. Manitoba now requires up to 24 days of isolation for variant carriers' household contacts.
But lag in detecting variant case suggests family was allowed back to school/work for 6 days.
But lag in detecting variant case suggests family was allowed back to school/work for 6 days.
The province says it's screening samples for UK variant as of Feb — so not at time of this case. The variant carrier entered Canada on Jan. 19 so his federal quarantine likely ended Feb. 2. National lab got sample two days later and declared variant on Feb. 8.
Manitoba has stressed that no secondary cases have been detected from the UK variant case.
We're not trying to cause panic — nor are we criticizing the hardworking scientists at Cadham & NML. But there are serious Qs here about Manitoba's surveillance for COVID-19 variants.
We're not trying to cause panic — nor are we criticizing the hardworking scientists at Cadham & NML. But there are serious Qs here about Manitoba's surveillance for COVID-19 variants.
