Over a quarter of Quebecers developed COVID-19 antibodies in 2.5 months in 2022
A new study out of Hema-Quebec and the Ministry of Health has found that more than one in four Quebec adults developed antibodies to COVID-19 between the beginning of the year and mid-March.
The Quebec blood agency explains that to obtain the results of this fourth phase of the study, analyses were performed using a test that identifies antibodies present only in people who have been recently infected with the coronavirus. The approach developed by the researchers consists of comparing the level of antibodies in the same individual, on two samples spaced in time.
Hema-Québec said that, due to the Omicron variant wave, a sample collected before the arrival of the variant and another collected since the beginning of 2022 were required for the same individual.
Tests conducted on donors registered in a plasma sample bank have established that 27.8 per cent of the Quebec population contracted COVID-19 between the end of 2021 and March 2022.
Hema-Québec reports that the increased presence of COVID-19 in the population has an impact on its daily blood and plasma collection activities. Since the end of March, the organization has had difficulty reaching its weekly objectives due to cancellations of appointments by infected individuals, even though the needs remain the same.
As a result, the organization is appealing to reach the number of donations needed.
Dr. Gaston DeSerres, head physician at the Immunization Unit of the Quebec Institute of Public Health (INSPQ), points out that seroprevalence studies, such as the one conducted by Hema-Québec, are very useful to public health authorities in monitoring the evolution of the pandemic and are essential for validating models used to predict its evolution.
-- This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on May 9, 2022.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'Anything to win': Trudeau says as Poilievre defends meeting protesters
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is accusing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of welcoming 'the support of conspiracy theorists and extremists,' after the Conservative leader was photographed meeting with protesters, which his office has defended.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Pilot reported fire onboard plane carrying fuel, attempted to return to Fairbanks just before crash
One of the two pilots aboard an airplane carrying fuel reported there was a fire on the airplane shortly before it crashed and burned outside Fairbanks, killing both people on board, a federal aviation official said Wednesday.
'One of the single most terrifying things ever': Ontario couple among passengers on sinking tour boat in Dominican Republic
A Toronto couple are speaking out about their 'extremely dangerous' experience on board a sinking tour boat in the Dominican Republic last week.
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
7 surveillance videos linked to extortions of South Asian home builders in Edmonton released
The Edmonton Police Service has released a number of surveillance videos related to a series of extortion cases in the city now dubbed 'Project Gaslight.'
Ukraine uses long-range missiles secretly provided by U.S. to hit Russian-held areas, officials say
Ukraine for the first time has begun using long-range ballistic missiles provided secretly by the United States, bombing a Russian military airfield in Crimea last week and Russian forces in another occupied area overnight, American officials said Wednesday.