Study reveals children and youth had highest rates of SARS-CoV-2 infection in Canada before third wave
Canada’s most representative study to date investigating how many Canadians have antibodies to SARS-CoV-2, the virus causing COVID-19, reveals a mere 2.6% of Canadians tested between November 2020 and April 2021 had developed antibodies resulting from a past infection. Another 1% of Canadians had antibodies due to vaccination, reflecting the fact that vaccination was not widely available during the survey period. This brings the total percentage of Canadians with some form of immunity before the third wave to 3.6%. These data come from Statistics Canada’s Canadian COVID-19 Antibody and Health Survey (CCAHS), done in partnership with Canada’s COVID-19 Immunity Task Force (CITF), the Public Health Agency of Canada, and Health Canada.
Extensive review of seroprevalence provides a global panorama on immunity
CITF-funded SeroTracker carried out a living systematic review of 968 seroprevalence studies that included 9.3 million participants in 74 countries.
Largest international review of serosurveys, done by Canadians, suggests that the global population remains vulnerable to COVID-19
SeroTracker, a Canadian research group, has published the largest study to date on the global spread of SARS-CoV-2 in the journal PLOS One. The study examined antibody survey data, which were published from January to December 2020, from 9.3 million people in 74 countries and found that the number of people who had a SARS-COV-2 infection, although widely variable globally, remained fairly low in the general population.
Early results from a national study confirm antibody levels are stronger after receiving two doses
Initial preliminary results from the Canadian Partnership for Tomorrow’s Health (CanPath) COVID-19 Antibody Study, based on close to 6,000 dried blood spot samples collected between February 8 and May 17, 2021, show a high degree of variability in the level of antibodies produced by a single dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. These findings highlight the importance of accelerating second doses as the Delta variant continues to spread, particularly with the vast majority of Canadians having received only a single vaccine dose.
Immunity to SARS-CoV-2 persists for 9 months
The mechanisms of immune protection to SARS-CoV-2 are still unclear and researchers around the world are attempting to address this critical question.
Interim results unveil Vancouver public school staff are not at higher risk of COVID-19 infection with mitigation measures that are in place
Drs. Pascal Lavoie and Louise C. Mâsse and their team at the University of British Columbia have released interim results, soon to be submitted for peer-review, suggesting that school staff are not at increased risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection at school, compared to in the community.
Increasing infection rates and emotional distress among children in Montreal
Dr. Kate Zinszer (Université de Montréal) and her EnCORE study team have released preliminary results based on data collected from an online questionnaire that parents filled out including updates on children’s behaviour and emotional health, as well as many parental concerns.
Vancouver researchers develop a quantitative SARS-CoV-2 viral load test
A group of researchers at Simon Fraser University, the BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS and Providence Health care led by CITF-funded researcher Dr. Zabrina Brumme have developed a method to quantify SARS-CoV-2 virus levels in human biological specimens using a technique called droplet digital RT-PCR (RT-ddPCR).
mRNA COVID-19 vaccines are shown to be highly effective after two doses against symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection and severe COVID-19 outcomes
Due to shortages in vaccine supply and the attempt to maximize the number of people receiving their first doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, Canadian provinces have recommended that second doses be delayed by up to 16 weeks.