Most Canadians have hybrid COVID-19 immunity. Could it prevent a fall wave?
Global News
By March 2023, more than 75 per cent of the population had immunity because of a COVID-19 infection, according to a new CMAJ study.
After more than three years of COVID-19, most people in Canada have developed immunity against the virus through a mix of infection and vaccination, data shows.
By March 2023, more than 75 per cent of the population had immunity because of a COVID-19 infection, according to a study published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ) Monday.
Researchers at the COVID-19 Immunity Task Force looked at blood samples of thousands of Canadians of all ages collected between March 2020 and March 2023 and found that the Omicron variant led to a rapid rise in infection-induced antibodies last year.
During the Omicron waves, the rates of infection-acquired immunity appeared to be highest among younger Canadians, the CMAJ research showed.
“Data up to March 2023 indicate that most people in Canada had acquired antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 through natural infection and vaccination,” the authors said in the peer-reviewed study.
The research sheds new light on the impact of the highly transmissible Omicron variant — which was first detected in Canada in December 2021 — which caused many Canadians to get infected for the first time with COVID-19.
The study also said most people in the country had been vaccinated by the time the Omicron variant surged in Canada – and that coupled with an uptick in cases ushered in “an era of hybrid immunity” that potentially could protect against infection for months.
Despite the high vaccine coverage, the hybrid immunity from vaccines and previous infections was not enough to slow the spread of Omicron, the CMAJ study stated.
Dr. Michael Domeier, director of the Marine Conservation Science Institute, told Global News that they tag the adult females as they are the most interesting.
Regina’s recycling contamination is currently triple the limit and city is urging resident to change sorting habits now to avoid citywide fines and higher resident fees.
The study found that higher ultra-processed food intake at age three years was associated with adverse behavioural and emotional symptoms at age five years.
Edmonton's single-use waste rules were controversial and unpopular when introduced in 2023 — but new data shows the changes are having the intended effect of reducing garbage.
Carney's speech to Australia's parliament highlighted a soon-to-launch Canadian low earth orbit satellite network that experts say could soon compete with Elon Musk's Starlink.
The Pentagon said in a statement Thursday that it has “officially informed Anthropic leadership the company and its products are deemed a supply chain risk, effective immediately.”
Opioid overdose deaths in Canada are falling, but there's growing concerns on a certain veterinary tranquilizer being cut into fentanyl and other opioids.
The product is being recalled in Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec and Saskatchewan due to 'undeclared almonds' being found.
Toronto Maple Leafs defenceman Chris Tanev is out for the rest of the season, the NHL team announced Wednesday.
A large swath of southern Alberta is under a snowfall warning, with up to 30 centimetres of snow forecast to fall in some areas before the snow tapers off by Saturday morning.
Coined forever chemicals due to the years it takes for them to break down, PFAS are 'a group of thousands of human-made chemicals' commonly found in everyday items.