Check daily for COVID-19 news. Latest update

Even the smallest of things can have a huge impact. Learn more in this PBS video:

Genome Alberta is here to help you stay informed with reliable COVID-19 information, links, and news. This page is updated regularly. You should also visit our COVID blog pages for more in-depth stories about COVID research.

Research Insights

Canadian researchers are among the many scientists around the world finding ways to meet the challenges presented by the coronavirus pandemic. We can't introduce you to all the projects underway but here is a small sample of the Canadian efforts.

Capturing COVID-19 and anything else lurking in our lungs. Saskatchewan researchers supported by Genome Prairie funding are developing a test for co-infections that may accompany COVID-19. Our 10-minute podcast with Andrew Cameron will bring you up to speed.
Can researchers find a way to run 10,000 COVID-19 tests at once? A team in Toronto is trying. Take thousands of patient samples and let "ultra-high-throughput next-generation sequencing" and automation kick testing into high gear.(Appeared in a number of outlets but this one is not hiding behind a subscribe paywall)
Consolidation of COVID-19 Research Initiatives. Genome Alberta has crunched its way through the databases, websites, and Google to create an inventory of COVID-19 related research.
How AI is enabling COVID-19 research. University of Toronto researchers are using machine learning tools to find ways to treat patients.
COVID-19: 'Like finding the right book in massive library,' says UBC researcher testing antibodies for a treatment. With funding from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the team hopes to develop a treatment that uses an inhaler to deliver a therapeutic 'cocktail'.

Check back a couple of times a week as we will be posting new insights into COVID-19 research taking place in Canada.

Editor's Picks

News you can trust because we have checked it for you first. The facts and figures around the pandemic change rapidly so we will be updating this section regularly. Here are some headlines for August 12^th.

Industry body call Russian COVID-19 vaccine a Pandora's Box. Russia is claiming success in the race to produce a vaccine to control the pandemic. However their Sputnik-V is licensed and in use before clinical trials are complete which many researchers and drug companies say is dangerous.
LISTEN: Hydroxycloroquine & the Shorting of Science. Scientists are learning more about the SARS-CoV-2 virus and treating COVID-19 patients every week. One things seems certain however, hydroxycloroquine is not an effective treatment and a run on the drug supply is hurting patients who need it for lupus or rheumatoid arthritis.
A second COVID-19 wave? Here are six lessons from the first. Six lessons and two conclusions from the University of Calgary's Loren Falkenberg and Jillian Walsh from York University.
University of Saskatchewan's Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization-International Vaccine Centre (VIDO-InterVac)is not new to working with pathogens.They have studied MERS, Zika, and antibiotic-resistant superbugs. Visit their website to see the work they are doing to deal with the pandemic.

Myths and Misinformation

University of Alberta prof debunks COVID-19 mask conspiracies. Edmonton's mandatory mask bylaw has been in place for a week now but there is a vocal minority speaking out against it. Tim Caulfield debunks some of the misinformation in this 4-minute segment from Global News.
Empathy can combat the spread of COVID-19 misinformation, says U of C researcher. Empathy cannot change biology but it has a role to play in public health and safety.
In the midst of the pandemic, academics are fighting a rising ‘infodemic’. Conspiracy theories seem to fill a "psychological need" in people looking for some meaning in the turbulent times we are going through.
Acting on false or misleading information during a pandemic goes far beyond being an irritation or causing confusion. 'Hundreds dead' because of Covid-19 misinformation says a new study.

Resources

Living with face masks: How to stow them, reuse disposables and more. Love 'em or hate 'em, masks are going to be a fact of life for some time.
Fleece neck gaitors and bandanas are least effective at stopping COVID-19 droplets, study finds. "Anything is betterr than nothing", right? No say the experts. However, follow a few guidelines, and even homemade masks can be effective.
Resources for researchers and clinicians responding to the COVID-19 epidemic in Canada. A site to help those involved in COVID-19 research and development in Canada to locate human resources, expertise, reagents, equipment and information in a timely manner.
WHO Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Dashboard. Updated throughout the day.
Essential Vocab For COVID-19: From Asymptomatic To Zoonotic. This is a handy guide to help you not only understand what you are reading in the news, but to help you talk about the pandemic.
COVID-19 Interactive Dashboard. Johns Hopkins University has created a breakdown of the numbers by country and region, confirmed cases, deaths, active cases, etc. Updated daily.
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19): Epidemiology update. Government of Canada information updated daily.

If you have something in particular you would like to see included on this page, drop us a line at info@GenomeAlberta.ca or on Twitter.

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August 12th - Where did viruses come from?