While monitoring new variants of the coronavirus in human populations is top of mind for many, we also need to monitor mutations in animal populations – which could also prove dangerous to humans.
With more transmissible variants, like the Delta variant, most experts agree that it's unlikely we'll reach herd immunity. So what might it look like to live in a world where SARS-CoV-2 is endemic, and how do we get there?
A country’s ability to sequence genomic data from samples of SARS-CoV-2 could help it respond effectively to potentially more dangerous variants. But in Canada, there are restrictions that impact the quality of information that is being collected.
British Columbia is expanding a program that prescribes alternatives to illicit drugs to people with substance use disorders. But critics warn that there are too many barriers built into the program, making it "too little, too late."