Lianne Gagnon

Proud tree hugger, wild salmon advocate, life-long learner, art dabbler and just a soul having a human experience.

[Lianne Gagnon @LianneNOTL]

@Edosdi I’m sorry you went through that.

[Prince Rupert Northern View @NorthernView]

#PrinceRupert RCMP urgently requests assistance in locating 16-year-old girl https://t.co/NCHDWIvtZ0

[Lianne Gagnon @LianneNOTL]

@sparqs_scotland @niagaracollege @mokeefe64

[sparqs @sparqs_scotland]

In case you missed it, read our last Talking Student Engagement interview with @LianneNOTL from @niagaracollege. Our next interview is coming soon!

[Lianne Gagnon @LianneNOTL]

https://t.co/EcKVuJ0Zsn

[Cindy Blackstock @cblackst]

Please be as shocked and horrified over the unmarked graves of these children as you were last summer. The number is growing and so should our demands for action on the TRC Human remains found near Alberta residential school site likely children https://t.co/Ylsn7fdW0W

[Jeff Gilchrist @jeffgilchrist]

Current intramuscular vaccines produce IgG antibodies, but these new vaccines produce huge amounts of IgA antibodies in mucous membranes that could stay persistent longer right where the virus tries to enter the body ( https://t.co/BSp7KpFX08 ). 25/

[Jeff Gilchrist @jeffgilchrist]

Based on Omicron's immunological profile, it should really be called SARS-3, an entirely distinct virus, and not just a variant of SARS-2. Let's hope that the new types of vaccines being developed, nasal vaccine from Yale and inhaled vaccine from McMaster in Canada do better. 24/

[Jeff Gilchrist @jeffgilchrist]

With the limited protection that BA.1 infection provided against new sub variants, questions are already being raised about how useful the new Omicron-specific vaccines might be. Dr. Linfa Wang says the virus is evolving too quickly for strain-specific vaccines to keep up. 23/

[Jeff Gilchrist @jeffgilchrist]

They suspect it was the virus' response to high levels of immunity generated by the huge Omicron waves. Both Moderna and Pfizer are testing updated versions of their mRNA vaccines with BA.1 variants instead of the original COVID-19 strain. 22/

[Jeff Gilchrist @jeffgilchrist]

Immunologist Yunlong Richard Cao and his colleagues noticed a pattern with new Omicron sub lineages from New York, Belgium, France and South Africa all had changes in L452. “The independent appearance of four different mutations at the same site? That’s not normal." 21/

[Jeff Gilchrist @jeffgilchrist]

All 3 variants (BA.2.12.1, BA.4, BA.5) have mutations in L452 which is part of the receptor-binding domain (RDB) on the spike protein that locks onto cells, enabling infection. This might partially help explain their ability to dodge immunity. 20/

[Jeff Gilchrist @jeffgilchrist]

Even if these variants do not cause more severe disease, the sheer # of people who become infected could still overwhelm health systems and cause further delays in diagnosis, treatments, and surgeries which will also increase mortality for things other than just COVID-19. 19/

[Jeff Gilchrist @jeffgilchrist]

Despite the many people who have now become infected and people who were vaccinated, these new variants are able to find ways around the "immunity wall" built up over the past 2 years ( https://t.co/O6x8lKlFq0 ). 18/

[Jeff Gilchrist @jeffgilchrist]

There is also a new variant of BA.2 called BA.2.12.1 which is spreading fast in the United States, driving increases along the East coast. 17/

[Jeff Gilchrist @jeffgilchrist]

So far BA.4/BA.5 are similar severity to previous Omicron lineages but their presence could cause a significant overall increase in COVID-19 cases in the EU/EEA in the coming weeks and months which means increased hospital and ICU admissions are likely to follow. 16/

[Jeff Gilchrist @jeffgilchrist]

People who were vaccinated did perform better in studies done thus far, but protection from vaccines does wane over time. 15/

[Jeff Gilchrist @jeffgilchrist]

Initial data shows that both BA.4 and BA.5 variants are capable of escaping immune protection induced by BA.1 infection and unvaccinated individuals who were infected with BA.1 are unlikely to be protected against infection from BA.4 or BA.5. 14/

[Jeff Gilchrist @jeffgilchrist]

The currently observed growth advantages of BA.4 and BA.5 are likely due to their ability to evade immune protection, even those induced by prior infection and/or vaccination, especially if antibody levels have waned over time. 13/

[Jeff Gilchrist @jeffgilchrist]

This was accompanied by an increase in COVID-19 case numbers and test positivity. Portugal estimates BA.5 will become the dominant strain in the next week. 12/