Action to Beat Coronavirus (Ab-C) Study newsletter presents Phase 3 data
In a recent newsletter released on their website, CITF-funded researcher Dr. Prabhat Jha and his Action to beat Coronavirus (Ab-C Study) team report findings on the third phase of their study covering data up until October 2021, prior to the Omicron wave.
STOP-CoV study results highlights importance of completing primary vaccine series
In a pre-print, not yet peer reviewed, the team from the STOP-CoV study, led by Dr. Sharon Walmsley from the University Health Network in Toronto, described their most recent findings: younger adults (30-50) generate higher levels of vaccine-specific antibodies compared to older adults (70 and above) after both the first and second mRNA vaccine doses.
Canadian Blood Services December report: The advance of Omicron
The latest report from Canadian Blood Services, covering the early days of the Omicron wave, shows that, notwithstanding the nearly universal presence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies among blood donors, the number of donors who had antibodies due to prior infection rose. Key findings: The proportion of donors with evidence of a prior infection was 6.4% in December, up from 5.1% in November. Importantly, this percentage [...]
Surveying COVID-19 vaccines safety through the Canadian National Vaccine Safety (CANVAS) Network
CANVAS-COVID tracks the safety of COVID-19 vaccines through electronic surveys sent to people who have been vaccinated. Over 1.3 million individuals have contributed data so far.
Reinfection with SARS-CoV-2 rare among Canadian healthcare workers during pre-Omicron days
In a pre-print that has not yet been peer reviewed, CITF-funded researcher Dr. Caroline Quach-Thanh from the Université de Montréal and colleagues conducted a study among Canadian healthcare workers (HCWs) who had a previously documented SARS-CoV-2 infection to better understand vulnerability to reinfection.
Effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines against VOCs in Canada
The race to vaccinate the world against SARS-CoV-2 became more urgent as variants of concern (VOCs) began to emerge.
Third dose improves immunity to SARS-CoV-2 in immunocompromised patients
In a letter published in RMD Open, CITF-funded researchers found that SARS-CoV-2 antibody levels and T cell responses increased following a third dose of vaccine in immunocompromised patients. Drs. Vinod Chandran, Anne-Claude Gingras, and Tania Watts (University of Toronto) showed that 92% of COVID-naïve patients with immune-mediated inflammatory disease (IMID) showed anti-spike and anti-RBD antibody levels that were greater than convalescent individuals (those recovering from COVID-19 infection).
Supplementary antibody testing accurately estimates population exposure rates to COVID-19
A study published in PLOS ONE by CITF-funded researcher Dr. Michael D. Grant, of Memorial University of Newfoundland, concludes that antibody testing is required in order to establish an accurate count of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the community.
Moderna vaccine achieves higher antibody levels than Pfizer-BioNTech: A study of hemodialysis patients
CITF-funded researchers Drs. Michelle Hladunewich and Matthew Oliver from Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre compared antibody responses after two-dose COVID-19 immunization with mRNA vaccines in individuals undergoing hemodialysis.