A study led by Héma-Québec, the provincial blood collection agency, supported by the CITF and featuring CITF-funded researcher, Dr. Andrés Finzi, showed that 2.23% of blood donors were seropositive for SARS-CoV-2 between May 25 and July 9, 2020: about four times higher than the number of PCR-confirmed COVID-19 cases during the same period.
Wastewater surveillance for COVID-19 involves testing sewage for SARS-CoV-2 RNA, which if present, would suggest some level of infection in the source population. In a recent preprint, therefore not yet peer-reviewed, researchers present a computational model to better understand the dynamics between transmission of the virus in a community and its concentration in the wastewater.
In this brief communication by CITF-funded researcher Dr Shelly Bolotin and colleagues, five key elements to achieve and maintain herd immunity Herd immunity is reached when a large proportion of the population is immune to a specific disease, reducing the spread of the disease from person to person. are presented.
As we navigate the ongoing pandemic, the effectiveness of Canada’s pandemic response is being evaluated. The auditor-general’s report, released in March 2021, outlined challenges, missteps, and lessons learned.
In British Columbia (BC), where schools were open for the 2020-21 academic year, teachers were surveyed to better understand their perceptions around vaccination and measure their willingness to accept a COVID-19 vaccine.
In their CITF-funded work, researchers from McMaster University, including Dr. Ishac Nazy, identified the mechanism behind adverse events involving blood clots associated with the COVID-19 adenovirus vaccines.
Protection from COVID-19 vaccines is likely complex, requiring non-neutralizing antibodies, T cell responses, and innate immune mechanisms, as well as low levels of neutralizing antibodies.
An ad hoc panel of clinical experts from the US, Canada, UK, Ireland, Germany, Italy, South Africa, and Australia, including CITF Associate Scientific Director Dr. Bruce Mazer, was formed to synthesize the current evidence regarding severe allergic reactions to the SARS-CoV-2 vaccines, and provide consensus on recommendations regarding risk factors and management of patients at possible risk for severe allergic reactions.
SARS-CoV-2 was observed to infect many mammals, including deer mice, one of the most prevalent types of rodents in North America.
People lacking certain immunity genes, particularly those involved in the can be more susceptible to infectious diseases. The link between this pathway and severe COVID-19 has already been established.