Publications from our Experts

Organ transplant recipients often receive immunosuppressant drugs to avoid transplant rejection, but these compounds affect their ability to mount immunity effectively when vaccinated.

A recent commentary in Lancet Respiratory Medicine by CITF-funded researcher Dr. Margaret Herridge and colleagues highlights the record volume of COVID-19 patients treated for prolonged periods in Intensive Care Units (ICUs) around the world.

In this short perspective in Pediatric Transplantation, CITF-funded researcher Dr. Upton Allen and colleagues present the latest evidence regarding the impact of variants of concern (VOCs) in children with solid organ transplants.

COVID-19 has not affected all Canadian communities equally. A growing body of literature is highlighting the inequalities in communities with high rates of COVID-19.

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 In a recent preprint, therefore not yet peer-reviewed, researchers present a computational model to better understand the dynamics between transmission of the virus in a community and its concentration in the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.