/channels/taxonomy/term/22264/all en /channels/channels/news/experts-covid-19-309919 <p>Researchers are struggling to explain why Quebec had the country's highest official COVID-19 death toll, but a relatively low number of excess deaths. A study — titled Excess mortality, COVID-19 and health-care systems in Canada — looked at excess deaths, which refers to when observed deaths exceed expectations based on previous years' data, between March 2020 and October 2021. Quebec only had 4,033 excess deaths in that period, despite reporting 11,470 COVID-19 fatalities — almost three times more. It's the biggest gap recorded in Canada during the pandemic.</p> Tue, 31 May 2022 16:34:44 +0000 webfull 180316 at /channels /channels/channels/news/unmasking-mechanisms-emerging-variants-333803 <p>Scientists are seeking answers to why SARS-CoV-2 variants are so transmissible and why they cause greater disease severity than the original strain. ±«ÓãÖ±²¥â€™s Qian (Vivian) Liu, together with researchers from the University of British Columbia and the Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, have launched a study to understand this question, investigating how SARS-CoV-2 spike proteins are organized and moved on the cell or virus surface by using single-molecule imaging technology.</p> Thu, 30 Sep 2021 11:22:44 +0000 webfull 173572 at /channels /channels/channels/news/vitamin-d-may-not-protect-against-covid-19-previously-suggested-331358 <p>While previous research early in the pandemic suggested that vitamin D cuts the risk of contracting COVID-19, a new study from ±«ÓãÖ±²¥ finds there is no genetic evidence that the vitamin works as a protective measure against the coronavirus.</p> <p>"Vitamin D supplementation as a public health measure to improve outcomes is not supported by this study. Most importantly, our results suggest that investment in other therapeutic or preventative avenues should be prioritized for COVID-19 randomized clinical trials," say the authors.</p> Fri, 04 Jun 2021 15:34:05 +0000 webfull 170938 at /channels /channels/channels/event/covid-and-more-conversations-mcgill-office-science-and-society-322573 <p>This week, the OSS is once again joined by Dr.</p> Wed, 03 Jun 2020 15:50:06 +0000 webfull 161130 at /channels /channels/channels/news/covid-19-qa-jennifer-ronholm-staying-safe-while-shopping-groceries-322052 <p>Can food transmit COVID-19? Should we wear masks and gloves while shopping? Should we wipe down groceries? Cash or credit? These questions and more are answered by ±«ÓãÖ±²¥ expert.</p> <p><strong>Jennifer Ronholm</strong> is an Assistant Professor cross-appointed to the Departments of Animal Science and Food Science and Agricultural Chemistry. Her research interests include using the latest next-generation sequencing techniques to study how the microbiome of food-producing animals affects food quality, as well as how the microbiome of the food we eat affects human health.</p> Wed, 06 May 2020 15:15:09 +0000 webfull 160566 at /channels /channels/channels/news/isid-policy-paper-preparing-looming-water-crisis-lessons-learned-covid-19-middle-east-and-north-322050 <p>The challenge of water security is growing globally. Achieving and sustaining water security, in both developed and developing countries, is likely to increase in complexity and priority as climate change intensifies, but also as the demands of economic growth increase. For most MENA countries that were already facing water security and major social, health and economic challenges before COVID-19, this additional pressure is particularly excruciating. Like COVID-19 and climate change, water scarcity in MENA is a global problem that requires collective action.</p> Wed, 06 May 2020 14:17:51 +0000 webfull 160564 at /channels /channels/channels/news/isid-professor-practice-jamal-saghir-post-covid-19-world-and-climate-change-321561 <p>ISID's Jamal Saghir has produced, in coordiation with the Payne Institute for Public Policy, a commentary paper entitled "Post COVID-19 New World Configuration and Climate Change Actions:  Two Urgent Priorities".  The full paper is available online at the <a href="https://payneinstitute.mines.edu/commentaryseries/">Payne Institute for Public Policy</a>.  </p> Tue, 14 Apr 2020 14:47:24 +0000 webfull 160033 at /channels /channels/channels/news/forbes-bcg-against-coronavirus-less-hype-and-more-evidence-please-321551 <p>FORBES | BCG against Coronavirus: Less hype and more evidence, please</p> <p><em>By Madhukar Pai</em></p> <p>I was born and raised in India. On the day I was born, I am told I got my first jab, a vaccine called BCG (bacille Calmette-Guerin). Kids born in India today still get this vaccine.</p> Sun, 12 Apr 2020 12:38:29 +0000 webfull 160021 at /channels /channels/channels/event/webcast-coronavirus-context-lheure-juste-sur-le-coronavirus-319710 <p><strong>A timely opportunity to separate facts from fiction with ±«ÓãÖ±²¥ experts</strong></p> Tue, 04 Feb 2020 16:35:38 +0000 webfull 157944 at /channels