A study of COVID-19 transmission dynamics in Canada illustrates the role of travel restrictions in buying time to scale up testing, tracing and healthcare interventions. A study of COVID-19 variant transmission into and across Canada shows that international travel restrictions were a key intervention for reducing or slowing spread, according to a report published today
Today, July 28, is World Hepatitis Day. Viral hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver, and its various types account for a significant disease burden worldwide. To delve into the current disease state of hepatitis, and the steps that need taken to end hepatitis transmission by 2030, Contagion interviewed internal medicine specialist Thomas Robertson, MD,
Today is World Hepatitis Day, an annual opportunity to raise awareness of the global burden of viral hepatitis, a liver inflammation, and to spark action. This year’s theme is ‘I Can’t Wait’, which highlights the urgency from the global community to improve access to life-saving treatments. Recent estimates by the World Health Organization (WHO) say
HIV activism dramatically changes lives. But it takes an impassioned type to transform them. To push back and make noise. To tirelessly pursue this sort of change takes courage, tenacity and a deep understanding of issues. James Watson sits down with celebrated HIV activist Bob Leahy, who at 75 is the very embodiment of the
A majority of women living with HIV in Canada report a history of verbal, physical, and/or sexual violence from partners, according to a study published in Women’s Health. And one fifth of the women in the study, especially Indigenous women and Black women, reported that Canada’s HIV non-disclosure laws had led to increased violence. Canada
Infections caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Omicron (B.1.1.529) variant are common among individuals who have recovered from prior infection or have been vaccinated against the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The Omicron has quickly overtaken the SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant as the dominant circulating strain globally. Currently, the original Omicron strain is
Today is World Schizophrenia Day, a day to raise awareness about this illness and to eradicate the myths and stigma attached to mental illnesses in general. Schizophrenia affects more than 24 million people worldwide, according to the World Health Organization. Common symptoms include thinking disorder, delusions, hallucinations, and negative syndrome. These induce severe loss of
The U=U movement continues to free people living with HIV from stigma, fear, and shame. Here’s how it changed one man’s life. U=U. Huh? Could it be a math equation, possibly Greek letters, or is it a secret code? The above may look familiar to you, but for many of us it may not. What
Moderna vaccine as a third dose produced especially strong responses People with undetectable HIV who received SARS-CoV-2 vaccines didn’t experience faster antibody declines than people without HIV after two vaccine doses and had equivalent or better antibody responses compared to a control group after a third dose, especially those who received the Moderna vaccine as
To help support the response to the overdose crisis and address harms related to substance use and the toxic illegal drug supply, over the last two years, the Government of Canada has dedicated over $182 million to Health Canada’s Substance Use and Addictions Program (SUAP), and recently proposed another $100 million through Budget 2022. $11.78
ABSTRACT: Sexually transmitted infections remain a public health concern in BC. Rates of gonorrhea and chlamydia have been increasing over the past decade. Similarly, the incidence of syphilis in BC has been increasing, particularly in men who have sex with men, but also in women aged 15 to 49 years. This rise has prompted new
Blue and Goldcast · Episode 36 Julio Montaner Dr. Julio Montaner is the director of the British Columbia Center for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, the chair in AIDS research and head of the division of AIDS in the faculty of medicine at the University of British Columbia. He discusses highlights of his distinguished career as one
As the Omicron wave wanes, people across the U.S. are welcoming reprieve from a virus that has killed nearly 1 million Americans and hospitalized millions more. But as recent articles in The New York Times, The Atlantic, and other outlets have pointed out, the threat of Covid-19 still looms large for millions of Americans who
66 cases have been identified in the province so far and experts fear it is more transmissible than the original strain. A new sub-lineage of the Omicron coronavirus variant is spreading across Europe at a concerning rate and 66 cases have been identified so far in B.C. Scientists and health officials around the world are keeping their
Dr Artem Babaian, a former post-doctoral student in medical genetics at the University of British Columbia (UBC) in Canada and now a Banting Fellow at the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom, together with his mountain-climbing partner, Jeff Taylor, a UBC engineering student, knew that scientists had isolated 15,000 viruses that could infect humans,
Brazil survey finds only 15% of men who have sex with men who qualify for free PrEP are using it Research from Brazil suggests that men who have sex with men are more likely to use PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) if they have a good level of HIV knowledge and have positive feelings about homosexuality. What
The use of an opioid is common among people living with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV; PLWH) and affects HIV outcomes harshly. The effect of the initiation of buprenorphine (BUP) on subsequent HIV viral loads was evaluated for a study. PLWH from the Johns Hopkins HIV Clinical Cohort was recognized who started BUP between 2002
Continuing our partnership with STORYHIVE — a platform which supports BC and Alberta-based creators — we interviewed Calgary-based filmmaker, Laura O’Grady, about her latest film. Undetectable is an award-winning short documentary exploring what has prevented us from living in a world free of HIV/AIDS. If you’d like to check out other filmmakers we’ve profiled in this
Overall, vaccines are highly effective, but some folks are at risk for poorer response. Studies of COVID-19 outcomes among people living with HIV have yielded conflicting results, but some show that HIV-positive people are at greater risk for severe illness and death. Many people with HIV are older and have other chronic health conditions, and
La científica lleva adelante el desarrollo de anticuerpos monoclonales contra el covid en Gran Bretaña. Esto nos dijo. “El Ómicron recolectó las mejores mutaciones de Alfa, Beta, Gama, Theta Lambda, Mu y las juntó todas. Hizo una selección ventajosa. Es más o menos lo que contó Darwin hace siglos, donde hay una ventaja adaptativa. Entonces,
The BC-CfE Laboratory is streamlining reporting processes for certain tests in order to simplify distribution and record-keeping, and to ensure completeness of results. Beginning September 2, 2025, results for the ‘Resistance Analysis of HIV-1 Protease and Reverse Transcriptase’ (Protease-RT) and ‘HIV-1 Integrase Resistance Genotype’ tests will be combined into a single ‘HIV-1 Resistance Genotype Report’.
For more details and example reports, please click on the button below
