One in 10 COVID-19 patients returned to the emergency department within 30 days during the first two pandemic years
A CITF-funded study, published in Emergency Medicine Journal, using data from 47 Canadian Emergency Departments (ED), found that between March 1, 2020 and March 31, 2022, one in 10 patients had an unscheduled ED return visit for COVID-19 within 30 days and the median time to return was four days.
Seroprevalence due to infection was stable around 83% in Canadian blood donors in December, although rising slightly from early fall and summer
The latest CITF-funded report from Canadian Blood Services suggests that seroprevalence due to infection was 82.68% in December 2023, in line with the 82.97% found in November 2023. Consistent with previous reports, the percentage of younger donors (ages 17-24) who had infection-acquired seroprevalence was the highest of all donor age groups.
SARS-CoV-2 antibody levels increased in Canadian healthcare workers with each vaccine dose, but they waned over time
A CITF-funded study among Canadian healthcare workers, published in Vaccine, found that SARS-CoV-2 anti-receptor binding domain (RBD) IgG levels increased following each COVID-19 vaccine dose and after the first SARS-CoV-2 infection.
Omicron breakthrough infection instills higher and more broadly neutralizing immune responses against SARS-CoV-2 variants than a booster dose alone
A CITF-funded study, published in Mucosal Immunology, found that the breadth and magnitude of T-cell responses were comparable whether individuals with two vaccine doses had a third vaccine dose or an Omicron breakthrough infection.
Applying the test of reasonableness in determining when proof of vaccination is required in the private sector
A commentary by a CITF-funded researcher, published in Intelligence Memos, explores the extent to which privacy laws restrict businesses’ ability to verify an individual’s vaccination status.
Longitudinal SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence study on food and retail workers reveals similar humoral immune responses across occupational sectors
A CITF-funded study, published in preprint and not yet peer-reviewed, reported longitudinal data on humoral immunity collected over a year and a half from food and retail workers over key periods of the pandemic, including the initial vaccination campaigns and the emergence of the Omicron variant.
Wastewater surveillance could help predict SARS-CoV-2 incidence and disease burden in the community
A CITF-funded study, published in Science of the Total Environment, demonstrated that wastewater-based surveillance (WBS) for SARS-CoV-2 could indicate disease incidence and predict disease burden at various stages of the pandemic.
Assessing various T cell immunity assays for SARS-CoV-2 studies
A CITF-funded study, published in The Journal of Immunology, reviewed the benefits and limitations of commonly used methods for assessing T cell immunity across SARS-CoV-2 studies.
Clinical manifestations of SARS-CoV-2 differ depending on the variant in children and adolescents
A CITF-supported study, published in JAMA Network Open, systematically compared the clinical manifestations of different SARS-CoV-2 variants in the pediatric population presenting in emergency departments.