/newsroom/taxonomy/term/12716/all en /newsroom/catherine-hankins Mon, 31 Jan 2022 20:42:08 +0000 frederique.mazerolle@mcgill.ca 285515 at /newsroom /newsroom/channels/news/new-study-offers-first-glimpse-how-widespread-covid-19-antibodies-are-canadas-adult-population-323356 <p>Today, <a href="http://www.blood.ca/">Canadian Blood Services</a> and Canada’s <a href="http://www.covid19immunitytaskforce.ca/">COVID-19 Immunity Task Force (CITF)</a> are releasing initial results of the first 10,000 blood donor samples assessed for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies. This analysis reveals that over the period May 9 through June 8, 2020, fewer than 1 per cent of the 10,000 samples from blood donors tested positive for antibodies to the novel coronavirus.</p> Wed, 22 Jul 2020 21:33:27 +0000 amelia.souffrant@mail.mcgill.ca 228368 at /newsroom /newsroom/channels/news/cbc-pioneer-fight-against-hivaids-star-quebec-researcher-turns-quest-covid-19-immunity-322098 <p>When <strong>Catherine Hankins</strong> first arrived in Montreal in 1986, she never expected she'd get into a spat with the provincial health minister. But eight months into a job in Montreal's public health department she made headlines for doing just that. The Alberta-born community medicine specialist had moved to Montreal just as a mysterious and little-understood new disease was terrorizing the gay community.</p> Mon, 11 May 2020 13:44:59 +0000 amelia.souffrant@mail.mcgill.ca 210415 at /newsroom /newsroom/channels/news/globe-and-mail-canadas-immunity-task-force-takes-aim-pressing-covid-19-questions-322027 <p>After one week on the job, members of the federal government’s new immunity task force say they are coming to grips with a towering wall of uncertainty that obscures the true extent of COVID-19 in Canada.</p> Mon, 04 May 2020 17:38:06 +0000 amelia.souffrant@mail.mcgill.ca 209834 at /newsroom /newsroom/channels/news/cbc-health-expert-warns-reopening-provincial-economies-will-be-tricky-322026 <p>Some provinces will begin reopening their economies next week, a move one public health expert described as a delicate experiment — because so little is known about how many people are immune to the COVID-19 virus, or how long such immunity might last. "This is all going to be tricky," said <strong>Dr. Catherine Hankins</strong>, who co-chairs the leadership group of the COVID-19 Immunity Task Force — part of the federal government's anti-pandemic research strategy.</p> Mon, 04 May 2020 17:31:04 +0000 amelia.souffrant@mail.mcgill.ca 209832 at /newsroom /newsroom/channels/news/canada-launches-serological-testing-initiative-help-manage-covid-19-321802 <p>The Government of Canada <a href="https://pm.gc.ca/en/news/news-releases/2020/04/23/prime-minister-announces-new-support-covid-19-medical-research-and">is launching a task force</a> to measure the scope of coronavirus infection in Canada and rapidly provide information needed to manage the COVID-19 pandemic and safely get Canadians back to work.</p> <p>The COVID-19 Immunity Task Force will generate this vital information, drawing on experts from universities and hospitals across Canada and working closely with provincial and territorial public health officials.</p> Thu, 23 Apr 2020 18:22:38 +0000 laurie.devine@mcgill.ca 209134 at /newsroom