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Countries are not great when it comes to collaboration to solve problems. Dr. Richard Hatchett is the CEO of the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations and in this CBC interview he says pandemics can only be controlled with international cooperation.

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. Here is a small sample of research at home and abroad:

SARS-CoV-2 Variants of Interest and Concern naming scheme conducive for global discourse. That is the big name for this paper in Nature Microbiology. What it really means is that the World Health Organization has a new new classification scheme for SARS-CoV-2 variants.
Boredom proneness, political orientation and adherence to social-distancing in the pandemic. When boredom becomes a "call to action', we are more likely to break the rules. Political affiliation just kicks it up a notch. The latest research published in Motivation and Emotion.
Can AstraZeneca be tweaked so that it doesn't lead to blood clots? Vaccine-induced immune thrombotic thrombocytopenia or VITT, is the the vaccine side-effect that has some people worried. McMaster University researchers are on it.
Fighting Against COVID: The Search for a Cure. It is not just about vaccines. Here is a quick look at Canadian medical innovation at work during the pandemic.
Sewage testing ramped up in England. Checking wastewater samples for signs of COVID-19 is proving to be an early warning indicator of outbreaks. Here in Canada Ottawa scientists racing to come up with tests for new COVID variants in wastewater.

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 June 21^st.

Another life-saving Covid treatment found. The vaccine will grind down the spread of SARS-CoV-2 and a new treatment could save the lives of people who come down with COVID-19.
Listen: Success Of COVID-19 Vaccines Ushers In Renaissance In Vaccine Technology. mRNA vaccines have been in the works for decades, but the pandemic pushed them to the front of the line. Now there is the possibility that they can be pushed even further.
Why do Canadians think Pfizer is better than Moderna? A look at COVID-19 vaccine shopping. Differences in media coverage, supplies, and shifting advice mean people are making a lot of choices.
Moderna founder says Canada needs to build a biotech hub to avoid 'getting caught with its pants down next time'. We have the talent, the technology, and the research. Now we need a plan.
Can you mix and match COVID-19 vaccines? Studies are underway but there are some circumstances where mixing the vaccine types may be a good idea.
'Sporadic' COVID-19 cases may have occurred in late 2019 in U.S., researchers suggest. Weeks before researchers had identified the virus which causes COVID-19 it looks like it was already in population and spreading.
COVID-19 in Canada: How our battle to stop the pandemic is going. The Delta variant is gaining a foothold in Canada. Vaccines may not be as effective in protecting us from the variant but it is keeping people out of the hospital.

Myths and Misinformation

Coronavirus: How news media and politics drive the lab leak theory. The theory is possible - but it looks unlikely. That is if science was leading the discussion.
Fact check: White pine tea likely not helpful against COVID-19; vaccinated don't 'shed' particles. Your COVID News editor quite likes pine tea, but has never confused it with a cure for anything. ;-)
Brazil's Main COVID Strategy Is A Cocktail Of Unproven Drugs. Pseudoscience is not a strategy and can cost lives.
Fact Check - Coronavirus variants are real and are a result of genetic mutations – they are not created at random by governments. Another good reality check from Reuters.

Resources

Covid world map: which countries have the most coronavirus vaccinations, cases and deaths? From The Guardian.
Explore CanCOGeN. The Canadian COVID-19 Genomics Network (CanCOGeN) is a Genome Canada led cross-agency initiative for large-scale SARS-CoV-2 and human host sequencing to track viral origin, spread and evolution, and characterize the role of human genetics in COVID-19. The new website will keep you up-to-date on the activities of the network.
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.
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19): Epidemiology update. Government of Canada information updated daily.

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This is a COVID tracker from Bing.com which is updated throughout the day.

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COVID News - June 21stLooking ahead

COVID News - June 21st
Looking ahead