Black Canadians had disproportionately higher rates of COVID-19 early in the pandemic
A CITF-funded study, published in the Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities, reported on the results of serologic testing for SARS-CoV-2 infections in the Black Canadian community and found that early in the pandemic, Black Canadians had disproportionately higher rates of COVID-19 compared to white Canadians.
Longitudinal sero-monitoring enhances ability to detect SARS-CoV-2 re-infections
A CITF-funded study, published in BMC Infectious Diseases, found that longitudinal sero-monitoring for antibodies, combined with PCR or RAT saliva testing for acute infection, increased the detection of re-infections four-fold compared to PCR or RAT tests alone.
Healthcare workers had higher incidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection and mental distress compared to the general population
A CITF-funded study, published in the Canadian Journal of Public Health, found that healthcare workers (HCWs) in Alberta had a higher incidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection and of mental health distress compared to community members seen in physician consultations.
There are four fundamental choices for the design of vaccine passport systems
A commentary by a CITF-funded researcher, published by C.D. Howe Institute, highlights four fundamental choices for the design of vaccine passport systems that bear upon potential privacy considerations for Canadians.
Stop the Spread Ottawa investigates the longevity and robustness of SARS-CoV-2 immune responses to infection and vaccination
A CITF-funded study’s cohort profile was published in BMJ Open, describing its study design, participant baseline characteristics, and ongoing data collection aimed at contributing data on effective SARS-CoV-2 immune responses conferred by infection and/or vaccination.
Adaptive platform trials are needed for more informed policy decisions on antiviral therapies
A research commentary by a CITF-funded researcher published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal discusses how the study populations enrolled in research on oral antivirals (e.g., nirmatrelvir-ritonavir, molnupiravir) are not representative of current COVID-19 patients.
Community-centered research requires trust, cultural appropriateness, and in-depth engagement with participants
A CITF-supported study, published in Health Promotion Practice, presents field notes to provide insights into culturally responsive, trust-centered, and communication-focused strategies that could be used to improve research conducted during a respiratory pathogen pandemic.
Wastewater-based surveillance technology is likely to be a key tool for community-level pathogen surveillance post-pandemic
A CITF-funded study, published in Clinical Microbiology Reviews, provides a thorough overview of the usefulness of wastewater-based surveillance (WBS), during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Clear communication from regulatory bodies is vital for dentists to be able to safeguard themselves, their patients, and the community during pandemics
A CITF-supported study, published in Community Dentistry and Oral Epidemiology, highlighted the negative views held by Canadian dentists of the COVID-19 communications about health risks and guidelines issued by their regulatory bodies.