Check daily for COVID-19 news. Latest update

A digital event from The Economist discusses injections, infections, vaccines, and variants around the world:

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:

Watch: Participants needed for study on mixing and matching COVID-19 vaccines. A Canada wide study is designed to study how well vaccines are working depending on whether people have received the same authorized vaccines or had a mix of doses. The study will cover all ages and fill in some important gaps in our knowledge over a longer period.
SARS-CoV-2 Lambda variant exhibits higher infectivity and immune resistance. A research team in Tokyo has found that the latest variant is more resistant to current vaccines. The research paper has not been peer reviewed,but Lambda is considered a 'variant of concern'.
Listen: Scientists May Have Found A Marker Of How Effective COVID-19 Vaccines Are. The research requires more work, but if scientist have it right, it will be easier and faster to determine the effectiveness of a vaccine.
Moderna to set up research-production hub in Canada. A new deal between the Government of Canada and Moderna will see not only a facility to produce vaccines, but an important R & D component as well.
Developing antiviral drugs to treat COVID-19 infections. Even with vaccines, SARS-CoV-2 will be part of our lives for years to come. A University of Alberta researcher team is focusing on treating people who get COVID-19.

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.

Delta variant’s global spread raises question: will Covid-19 become more infectious? We already have the Alpha, Beta, Gamma, and Lambda variants. No one is sure what might be next or how infectious they could become.
Listen: Kids and the Delta variant. In the United States, 200 children per day with COVID-19 are ending up in hospital. While the number of deaths is relatively low, there are ways to protect children from contracting the disease and to manage the long COVID effect from those who recover.
A test that detects COVID-19 variants in your spit. It is not quite ready for the marketplace, but the prototypes work and the technology is affordable. Soon it may well be a simple "spit, wait, scan" to see if you are infected.
When will the summer coronavirus surge peak? It will get worse before it gets better, experts predict. Case numbers are rising, especially among the unvaccinated. However better treatment protocols mean we are not likely to see hospitalizations and deaths hit the numbers we experienced over the winter. It may also feel worse that it really is.
COVID-19 management has become a Top 3 issue for Canadian voters. Climate change and health care policy top the list in the latest Angus Reid poll. It has moved up since the last poll.
See How Vaccines Can Make the Difference in Delta Variant’s Impact. An excellent graphical representation on how a new outbreak would affect the vaccinated and those who have chosen to skip the a shot in the arm.
Here are all the things more likely to kill you than COVID-19 if you're fully vaccinated. Car accidents top the list. so, get a vaccination and pay attention on the road and life looks good for you.

Myths and Misinformation

The Vaccine Scientist Spreading Vaccine Misinformation. Robert Malone seems to feel he is not getting credit for 'inventing' mRNA vaccines so he has opted to discredit the COVID-19 vaccine altogether. And he has enlisted the help of Steve Bannon - among others.
Fact Check-mRNA vaccines are distinct from gene therapy, which alters recipient’s genes. No matter how many people say it any number of times, the story that mRNA vaccines alter your genes continues to persist. Reuters once again sets the record straight.
Watch: No, an Alberta man did not prove COVID is a hoax. It is "important to debunk everything, even something as absurd as this".
10 types of COVID-19 vaccine misinformation swirling online, fact-checked. Vaccines work, they have been tested, they are not mandatory, and no they are not micro-chipped. These and several other fact checked gems to keep things clear and on target for us all.

Resources

Watch: How your mask protects other people – video explainer. There are people, places, and occasions when masks remain a good idea.
What should I know about the delta variant? Vaccinated people can spread the Delta variant - even if they are not sick. Controlling the spread means following public health precautions and making sure more people at home and abroad are vaccinated.
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.

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COVID News - August 12thVaccines versus The Variants

COVID News - August 12th
Vaccines versus The Variants