Results from a University of British Columbia study in long-term care facilities in Vancouver reveal that individuals of advanced age, following the first dose of a two-dose vaccination regimen, are less able to generate as strong an antibody response, both in terms of magnitude and function, compared to adults of younger age.
Long-term care homes have been at the epicentre of the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada, with 70 percent of COVID-19 deaths having occurred in long-term care or nursing homes. The Government of Canada, through the CITF, is supporting a study led by McMaster University researchers aimed at understanding how well vaccination works in residents of long-term care homes and which factors may be directly linked to outbreaks.
Throughout this pandemic, thousands of Canadians have had to continue working to provide essential services, such as in food production and packing plants, as well as in grocery stores, restaurants, and bars. At times, this has meant working in close proximity to colleagues and customers. The Government of Canada, through its COVID-19 Immunity Task Force (CITF), is providing approximately $4.5 million to support two studies looking at the impact of various aspects of COVID-19 on food industry workers in Quebec and Ontario.
Across Canada, but particularly in Quebec, long-term care facilities have accounted for a disproportionate number of COVID-19 deaths. The Government of Canada, through the CITF, is supporting a new $2.7 million study aimed at identifying the factors putting each person at risk of developing severe COVID-19 symptoms and medical complications that may lead to a fatal disease.
As in-class learning has been affected in much of the country due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Government of Canada, through its CITF, is supporting three research projects that will estimate how many teachers and school personnel have been infected with SARS-CoV-2. Approximately $2.9 million has been provided for three studies, one each in Ontario, Quebec and British Columbia, to help further inform decision-making around prevention strategies in neighbourhoods, schools and daycares.
Canada’s COVID-19 Immunity Task Force (CITF) is supporting a new study in the Maritimes aimed at determining which health factors cause long-term care residents to experience severe COVID-19 outcomes, including death. The study is investigating vaccine effectiveness in this frail, elderly population over the next year. This $1.9 million study will be carried out by a team of experts in frailty research, immunology, virology, and clinical infectious diseases. The team is led by Dr. Lisa Barrett, an expert in infectious diseases and a clinician scientist at Dalhousie University and Nova Scotia Health.
Long-term care facilities have been disproportionately burdened by COVID-19, accounting for about 60% of COVID-19 deaths nationwide, 70% if retirement homes are included. The Government of Canada, through its COVID-19 Immunity Task Force (CITF), is providing a total of $8.5 million to support two studies investigating various aspects of immunity and people’s response to vaccines within long-term care facilities. These studies are recruiting participants in Ontario, Quebec and British Columbia.
Dental and dental hygiene students and staff remain among the few groups on-site nearly daily at universities and colleges across Canada. Their continued presence on campus and the nature of the dental work itself increases their risk of exposure to SARS-CoV-2. The CITF is supporting a pan-Canadian study investigating SARS-CoV-2 infection rates, transmission risks, and immune system responses of those working in dental clinics, laboratories, and offices in universities.
Data from multiple countries including the US, UK and Canada indicate a disproportionate number of individuals of African ancestry are contracting SARS-CoV-2 and afflicted with more severe COVID-19 than people of other races. The CITF is supporting a study investigating how many people in Black Canadian communities have had SARS-CoV-2 and the risk factors associated with both contracting the infection and having poor outcomes, including hospitalization and death.
The CITF is supporting four studies of correctional service employees and individuals incarcerated in Canadian correctional facilities. The studies will determine how many of these individuals have antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 and involve several federal institutions across the country and provincial prisons in British Columbia, Saskatchewan, and Quebec.