|
More than three years after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the SARS-CoV-2 virus continues to surprise scientists.
For example, when McMaster University researchers Dawn Bowdish and Andrew Costa were studying vaccinated older adults in retirement and long-term care homes, they discovered that those who had been infected with Omicron BA.1-2 had a 30-fold higher risk of reinfection with the BA.5 variant a few months later. It was the opposite of predicted patterns.
Today in The Conversation Canada, Bowdish and Costa discuss these results and put them in context for fall 2023. While it’s not clear if the findings apply to other variants or broader populations, they do reinforce the importance of vaccination.
“What the findings do tell us is that older adults who have had a previous COVID-19 infection shouldn’t rely on that to protect them against reinfection this fall. To protect against severe illness, keeping booster shots up to date is recommended.”
Also today:
|
Researchers found a surprising twist in a study of Omicron infection in older adults. The new information highlights the importance of COVID-19 vaccine booster shots.
(Shutterstock)
Dawn ME Bowdish, McMaster University; Andrew Costa, McMaster University
We still have much to learn about many aspects of COVID-19 — including its lingering health effects and the mechanics of its endless mutations — but we do know one thing: we can’t let our guard down.
|
While zuranolone represents an exciting advance in the treatment of postpartum depression, many questions about its potential impact remain unanswered.
(Shutterstock)
Ryan Van Lieshout, McMaster University
Amid the fanfare about a new medication for postpartum depression, it’s important to remember that PPD is underdiagnosed and undertreated, and that safe and effective treatments already exist.
|
America’s overnight summer star, country singer Oliver Anthony, performs in Moyock, N.C., on Aug. 19.
(Kendall Warner/The Virginian-Pilot via AP)
Frédérick Guillaume Dufour, Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM); Alexis Harton, Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM)
Although its content is essentially libertarian, the No. 1 song of the summer in the U.S. resonates with both some Democratic supporters and those on the Trumpist right.
|
Analyzing samples of polar bears can reveal not only what they ate but also the food web during their lives. Polar bears pictured live in captivity.
(AP Photo/Ronald Zak)
Jennifer Routledge, Trent University
Comparison of modern and archaeological polar bears indicates that four millennia of food web stability has been disrupted by modern climate change.
|
Les enseignants et professeurs de sciences et de mathématiques ne sont pas à l'abri des enjeux pédagogiques qui découlent du déferlement de la récente vague d'IA.
(Patrick Charland), Image générée sur leonardo.ai
Patrick Charland, Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM); Hugo G. Lapierre, Université de Montréal; Pierre-Majorique Léger, HEC Montréal
L’utilisation de ChatGPT en milieu scolaire ne représente pas uniquement un enjeu pour l’enseignement du français. Les enseignants de sciences et de mathématiques doivent également s’y adapter.
|
Arts
|
-
Jorge L. Contreras, University of Utah; Dave Fagundes, University of Houston Law Center
Publishers and studios routinely pay large sums to acquire ‘life story rights.’ Two law scholars explain why the phrase is misleading.
|
|
Health
|
-
Audrey Mat, Universität Wien
Our bodies are able to perceive time thanks to our internal clocks, which are also used by the other living beings with which we interact.
|
|
Politics
|
-
Veronika Poniscjakova, University of Portsmouth
What are tactical nuclear weapons and would Russia resort to using them in Ukraine?
|
|
