“This study will provide crucial information about the immune response to COVID-19 and to vaccines,” said Dr. Angela Crawley. “The results could help us end this pandemic sooner and maintain protective immunity, and also ensure that we are better prepared for possible future pandemics.” What is a protective immune response to natural SARS-CoV-2 infection? Does it differ from that induced by vaccination? How many vaccine doses are needed? How long does immunity last? Can natural or vaccine immunity protect against infection by viral variants of concern? Is this protection as strong and of the same quality in the elderly, in COVID “long-haulers”, and in the immunocompromised? Does previous exposure to other seasonal coronaviruses influence immune responses to SARS-CoV-2?
Researchers from The Ottawa Hospital and the University of Ottawa, and their partners at McGill University and the National Research Council of Canada have been awarded more than $1.7 million to answer these questions through an expansion of the Stop the Spread Ottawa study.
Dr. Angela Crawley, a scientist at The Ottawa Hospital and assistant professor at the University of Ottawa, is leading the expansion, with the original study led by the University of Ottawa’s Dr. Marc-André Langlois.
Launched in October 2020, Stop the Spread Ottawa has already recruited more than 1,000 participants who have either tested positive for SARS-CoV-2, or who have a higher risk of exposure. By collecting blood and saliva samples on a monthly basis since Oct 2020, the researchers have been able to gather valuable data about the immune response to SARS-CoV-2 infection, and as people are vaccinated. The cohort includes many front-line workers and patient subgroups of interest to the pandemic.
The new funding from the Government of Canada, through the COVID-19 Immunity Task Force, will allow the research team to expand the study to evaluate how immune cells called T cells respond to COVID-19, as well as antibodies and follow participants into 2022. It is one of four grants awarded to researchers at The Ottawa Hospital to investigate the immune response to COVID-19 and vaccines.
“This study will provide crucial information about the immune response to COVID-19 and to vaccines,” said Dr. Crawley. “The results could help us end this pandemic sooner and maintain protective immunity, and also ensure that we are better prepared for possible future pandemics.”
Stop the Spread Ottawa has also partnered with the new Coronavirus Variant Rapid Response Network, which was recently awarded $9 million from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. Dr. Crawley is the Biobank Director for this study.
Collaborators: Angela Crawley, Marc-Andre Langlois, Steffany Bennett, Miroslava Culf-Cuperlovic, Ciriaco Piccirillo, Jörg Fritz
Partner institutions: The Ottawa Hospital, University of Ottawa, McGill University, National Research Council, Ottawa Methods Centre
Study website: https://omc.ohri.ca/SSO/
About The Ottawa Hospital
The Ottawa Hospital is one of Canada’s top learning and research hospitals, where excellent care is inspired by research and driven by compassion. As the third-largest employer in Ottawa, our support staff, researchers, nurses, physicians, and volunteers never stop seeking solutions to the most complex health-care challenges. Our multi-campus hospital, affiliated with the University of Ottawa, attracts some of the most influential scientific minds from around the world. Backed by generous support from the community, we are committed to providing the world-class, compassionate care we would want for our loved ones. www.ohri.ca
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