A study by researchers at the University of Toronto, in collaboration with CITF-funded researcher Dr. Sasha Bernatsky from the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, observed that people with autoimmune diseases had the same proportion of SARS-CoV-2 positive tests and a similar disease incidence compared to the general population in 2020.
Individuals who have recovered from COVID-19 or who have received SARS-CoV-2 vaccines (mRNA or adenovirus-based) have been shown to have virus-neutralizing activity in their saliva.
In a preprint that has not been peer-reviewed, CITF Leadership Group member Dr. Mel Krajden and colleagues sought to identify factors associated with COVID-19 hospitalization by looking at all individuals with lab-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 in British Columbia as of January 15, 2021.
In their recent pre-print, not yet peer-reviewed, CITF Leadership Group member Dr. Gina Ogilvie, VSRG Working Group member Dr. Manish Sadarangani and colleagues in British Columbia explored COVID-19 vaccination intention among women and gender diverse individuals living with HIV.
A collaborative effort of over 150 scientists from over 20 countries, including CITF-funded researcher Dr. Donald Vinh from McGill University Health Centre and the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, has led to the identification of a surprisingly high prevalence of a type of antibody that has been linked to fatal outcomes of COVID-19.
In a publication led by Dr. David Fisman from the University of Toronto in the Annals of Internal Medicine, CITF-funded researcher Dr. Sheila O’Brien and CITF Testing Working Party member Dr. Steven Drews, both from Canadian Blood Services, worked with colleagues from the University of Toronto and the University of Guelph and found that when accounting for testing rates, younger people in Ontario contracted SARS-CoV-2 more frequently than older people.
Investigators from the Canadian Immunization Research Network (CIRN), including CITF-funded researchers Drs. Jeffrey Kwong and Kumanan Wilson, provided epidemiological baseline rates of mortality and hospitalization to study COVID-19 outcomes in nursing home residents in Ontario.
Few studies have shown that immunocompromised individuals may mount attenuated antibody responses, compared to their otherwise healthy counterparts.
Along with colleagues, CITF Scientific Advisor Dr. Matthew Cheng and CITF-funded researcher Dr. Donald Vinh from McGill University and the RI-MUHC, have been studying the effectiveness and immunogenicity of the Made-in-Quebec, plant-based Medicago vaccine.
Organ transplant recipients often receive immunosuppressant drugs to avoid transplant rejection, but these compounds affect their ability to mount immunity effectively when vaccinated.