Channel - BCCDC 2020 RESEARCH WEEK
11/2/2023 5:17:34 PM
Channel Videos
A Cost-Utility Analysis of Targeting Radon Remediation to Homes Based on Occupant Smoking Status in British Columbia David McVea
TEAM: David McVea, Shirra Freeman, Tom Kosatsky
Radon gas is a significant cause of lung cancer, and exposure can be reduced by home remediation. However, the risk or radon-attributable lung cancer is variable and depends on smoking status and radon concentrations. We modelled multiple strategies for prioritizing home remediation to evaluate their cost-utility. We found that, in regions with overall high levels of radon, targeting all smokers for home remediation provides the lowest cost-utility ratio. In regions with low overall levels of radon, targeting smokers is less effective than remediating homes tested and shown to have high radon concentrations. These results may be used to guide radon related policies in British Columbia.
BC CDC Presenters
10/14/2020 11:15:00 PM
A cross-sectional study of COVID-19 Concerns of Caregivers in a Pediatric Emergency Department
TEAM: Sophie McGregor, Mariana Brussoni, Ran D. Goldman
The emergence of COVID-19 has led to increasing public anxiety. A survey of caregivers accompanying their children at BC Children’s hospital was conducted from March 27 to June 30 to determine caregiver concern of COVID-19. Over the course of the study period, a higher proportion of caregivers reported having no concern that their child had COVID-19. Children of caregivers with some concern that their child had COVID-19 were more likely to wear a facemask on the day of their visit, confirming that risk perception of caregivers drove their decision to use protective health measures for their child. Public health experts can use this information to increase awareness of COVID-19 in children.
BC CDC Presenters
10/14/2020 5:55:00 PM
Aiden Nikiforuk, Kevin Kuchinski: The Role of Angniotensin Converting Enzyme 2 in Inititation of SARS-CoV-2 Infection and Implications for Transmission
We measured the nasopharyngeal expression of Angiotensin Converting Enzyme 2 (ACE2), the functional receptor of SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus in samples from COVID-19
testers and found a strong association with with viral load. Therefore, upper airway ACE2 expression may have implications in the initiation of infection and likelihood of transmission.
TEAM Aidan Nikiforuk, Kevin Kuchinski, David Twa, Christine Lukac, Hind Sbihi, Natalie Prystajecky, Agatha Jassem, David Patrick, Mel Krajden and Inna Sekirov
BC CDC Presenters
10/13/2020 6:20:00 PM
Amee Manges MPH, PhD: Maternal Fecal Microbiome and Early Infant Growth in Rural Zimbabwe
A total of 207 SHINE mothers contributed 354 whole metagenome sequencing datasets (187 during pregnancy). The maternal microbiome did not appear to differ
in pregnancy, by HIV-status, or SHINE WASH assignment. Abundance of resistant starch degrading bacteria was important in predicting infant birth weight, and to a
lesser extent neonatal growth. Pathogen carriage was low. Capacity for environmental sensing, energy metabolism and vitamin B metabolism were important predictors
of increased infant birth weight and neonatal growth; while bacterial functions related to biofilm formation, in response to nutrient restriction, predicted low birth
weight. The pregnancy microbiome in rural Zimbabwe is characterized by diet-dependent resistant starch degrading members, which play a role in fetal growth.
TEAM: Ethan K. Gough, Thaddeus J. Edens, Hyun Min Geum, Iman Baharmand, Sandeep K. Gill, Ruairi Robertson, Kuda Mutasa, Robert Ntozini, Bernard Chasekwa, Florence D. Majo, Naume V. Tavengwa, Batsirai Mutasa, Freddy Francis, Lynnea Carr, Laura E. Smith, Rebecca Stoltzfus, Lawrence H. Moulton, Andrew J. Prendergast, Jean H. Humphrey,Amee R. Manges and the SHINE Trial Team
BC CDC Presenters
10/13/2020 6:50:00 PM
Antibiotic Utilization in British Columbia: An Exploratory Analysis of Prescription Rates and Interventions Hadi Dalati
Hadi Dalati, David Patrick, Nick Smith, Abdullah Mamun
Antibiotic resistance (ABR) is recognized internationally as a serious global threat of growing concern to human, animal, and environmental health (Yang et al., 2014). It threatens to undermine our ability to control viral, bacterial, fungal, or parasitic infections (Aslam et al., 2018). This project will attempt to analyse secondary antibiotic prescription patterns in BC and quantify ABR interventions carried out by the BCCDC at the local health authority level from 1996 to 2017.
BC CDC Presenters
10/14/2020 9:45:00 PM
Assessing 10-year safety of a single negative HPV test for cervical cancer screening: Evidence from FOCAL-DECADE cohort Anna Gottschlich
Anna Gottschlich, Dirk van Niekerk, Laurie W. Smith, Lovedeep Gondara, Joy Melnikow, Darrel Cook, Marette Lee, Gavin Stuart, Ruth E. Martin, Stuart Peacock, Eduardo L. Franco, Andrew J. Coldman, Mel Krajden, Gina S. Ogilvie
HPV-based cervical cancer screening is more effective than cytology-based in detecting precancerous lesions. However, the appropriate screening interval length in HPV-based programs is debated, as the length of protection provided by a negative HPV test is yet to be fully understood. This study found that among women with a single negative HPV test, the long-term risk of detection of high-grade precancerous lesions was low over the 10-year follow-up, particularly through the first seven years.
This suggests that one negative HPV test confers long-term protection from precancerous lesions. Even the 10-year risk was sufficiently low to support extended testing intervals in average risk populations. These findings support the safety of screening policies using HPV testing alone at five-year or longer intervals.
BC CDC Presenters
10/14/2020 10:45:00 PM
BCCDC Research Week 2020 - October 15th Webcast
Details to be provided shortly
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10/15/2020 4:00:00 PM
Breakout Session Room A
BC CDC Presenters
10/14/2020 5:00:00 PM
Breakout Session Room B
BC CDC Presenters
10/16/2020 6:00:00 PM
Breakout Session Room C
BC CDC Presenters
10/16/2020 6:00:00 PM
Breakout Session Room D
BC CDC Presenters
10/16/2020 6:00:00 PM
Comparison of rates of opioid withdrawal symptoms and reversal of opioid toxicity in patients treated with two naloxone dosing regimens: A retrospective cohort study: Roy Purssell
TEAM: Roy Purssell, Jesse Godwin, Jessica Moe, Jane Buxton, Alexis Crabtree, Andrew Kestler, Chris DeWitt, Frank Scheuermeyer, Shannon Erdelyi, Robert Balshaw, Adrianna Rowe, Christopher K Cochrane, Benjamin Ng, Andy Jiang, Alessia Risi, Vi Ho, Jeffrey R Brubacher
When managing opioid overdose (OD) patients, the optimal naloxone regimen should rapidly reverse respiratory depression while avoiding opioid withdrawal. Published administration guidelines have not been validated. Rates of opioid withdrawal symptoms (OW) and reversal of opioid toxicity in patients treated with two naloxone dosing regimens were evaluated. Eighty low dose naloxone (LDN; ≤ 0.15 mg) patients were matched with 299 high dose naloxone (HDN; 0.15 mg) patients. HDN patients
were more likely than LDN patients to have OW after initial dose (OR=8.43; 95%CI: 1.96, 36.3; p=0.004) and after any dose (OR=2.56; 95%CI: 1.17, 5.60; p=0.019). HDN patients were more likely to meet reversal criteria after initial dose (OR=2.73; 95%CI:1.19, 6.26; p=0.018) and after any dose (OR=6.07; 95%CI: 1.81,20.3; p=0.003).
BC CDC Presenters
10/14/2020 5:05:00 PM
COVID Serological Testing at BCCDC PHL – Early Experience: Tamara Pidduck
TEAM: Inna Sekirov, Tamara Pidduck, Ken Chu, Annie Mak, Mel Krajden,Paul Levett, Muhammad Morshed
In early August 2020, BCCDC PHL has started limited clinical testing for COVID-19 serology, of patients falling under the provincial testing guidelines. Since then, 250 patients have been tested, 5 at 1 time point. 214 patients were non-reactive, of these 84 were previously tested by PCR and none were positive; 13 patients were reactive, of these 5 were tested by PCR preserology and were positive; 27 patients had inconclusive results, of these 16 were tested by PCR pre-serology and 2 were positive.
These early results provide insights into the relative utility of serological diagnostics and the performance of the selected algorithm.
BC CDC Presenters
10/14/2020 5:15:00 PM
COVID-19 DataHarmonizer: a data-secure spreadsheet application for harmonizing CanCOGen contextual data
TEAM: Ivan S Gill, Emma J Griffiths, Damion Dooley, Rhiannon Cameron, Gurinder Gosal, Anoosha Sehar, Lauren Tindale, William Hsiao
The lack of contextual data standardization across Canadian public health agencies increases the difficulty of aggregating COVID-19 samples for genome analysis across the nation. We have developed a data processing application to harmonize and validate COVID-19 contextual data prior to Canadian SARS-CoV-2 national genomics database submission. The application can significantly reduce the time needed for data cleaning.
BC CDC Presenters
10/14/2020 6:05:00 PM
Defining the Scope of Digital Public Health and its Implications for Practice and Research – A Scoping Review Alice X.T. Xu
TEAM: Alice X.T. Xu, Ihoghosa Iyamu, Oralia Gómez-Ramírez, Hsiu-Ju Chang, Mark Gilbert
Despite the rapid development and implementation of digital health interventions in the last two decades, the scope and applications of digital technologies in public health is not well delineated. We conducted a scoping review aimed to determine how the scope of digital public health is described by public health researchers and practitioners within published and grey literature. A total of 211 articles were selected for in-depth analysis. Findings from this review on the intersection between public health domains and digital health technologies will inform the development of a conceptual framework of digital public health to inform future practice and research direction in the field.
BC CDC Presenters
10/14/2020 10:55:00 PM
Disparities in breast and cervical cancer screening participation in British Columbia (BC) Li Rita Zhang
TEAM: Li Rita Zhang, Drona Rasali, Ryan Woods, Janette Sam, Laura Gentile, Lisa Kan
Screening allows for early detection of cancer and reduction in population-level mortality. Despite the benefits of breast and cervical cancer screening, participation often fall short of targets and disparities across sociodemographic groups exist. To provide insights into screening service utilization in BC, we investigated disparities in 30-month breast and 3-year cervical cancer screening participation rates among women of screening age across quintiles of area-based income, education, as well as social and material deprivation indices. Results suggest that breast and cervical cancer screening participation rates are positively associated with education and inversely associated
with material deprivation. Our findings can inform strategies to improve cancer preventive care across BC.
BC CDC Presenters
10/14/2020 10:15:00 PM
Dr. Agatha Jassem : Measuring CoV Antigen-Antibody Interactions
TEAM Aaron Liu, Inna Sekirov, Danuta Skowronski, Jun Duan, Muhammad Morshed, Natalie Prystajecky, William Hsiao, Soren Gantt, Agatha Jassem
Immunological imprinting by the first coronavirus (CoV) infection in childhood may explain the observed differences in COVID-19 severity. By this “original antigenic sin”
hypothesis, infection or vaccination with SARS-CoV-2 may preferentially back-boost antibodies to the original infecting CoV to the detriment of SARS-CoV-2 immune
response. We are validating two complementary methods for the comprehensive detection of CoV antibodies: a peptide array called VirScan-CoV and a protein-based
immunoassay by Meso Scale Discovery. We will characterize SARS-CoV-2 and other CoV antibody profiles and link to COVID-19 outcomes using established cohorts.
BC CDC Presenters
10/15/2020 6:05:00 PM
Dr. Melissa Glier: Measuring SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater to supplement COVID-19 surveillance in BC communities
SARS-CoV-2 is shed in the feces of symptomatic and asymptomatic infected individuals and has been detected in wastewater. Testing SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater can serve as an additional tool to track and predict COVID-19 transmission in BC. We developed and validated methods to quantify SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater. We are applying these methods in a prospective study to quantify SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater from five of Metro Vancouver’s wastewater treatment plants. This work will generate valuable data to detect the presence of SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater and to detect trends (increasing, decreasing, or stable). This data will inform on the incidence COVID-19 in the community
and potentially serve as an early warning during a second wave of illness.
TEAM: Melissa Glier, Ziwen Ran, David McVea, Xuan Lin, Ryan Ziels, Natalie Prystajecky
BC CDC Presenters
10/13/2020 6:35:00 PM
Dr. Patrick Tang: Pandemic 201 - Lessons from a Global Epidemic and Two Pandemics
Patrick Tang
The past two decades have seen a number of outbreaks and pandemics, including the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The sharing of data and samples is fundamental
to the effective management of global outbreaks. Even in the midst of a public health emergency, numerous impediments - both pre-existing barriers and unexpected challenges - hinder the sharing of information and biological materials. As health care and public health professionals, we all play a role in preventing and stopping outbreaks, and we must identify and work around these obstacles. Dr. Patrick Tang will share his experiences and what he has learned from the frontlines of the SARS epidemic, and the recent influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 and COVID-19 pandemics.
BC CDC Presenters
10/15/2020 7:05:00 PM
Drug Overdose and the Risk of Cardiovascular Diseases Wenqi Gan
TEAM: Wenqi Gan, Heather Palis, Jane Buxton, Naveed Janjua, Chloe Xavier, Bin Zhao, Amanda Slaunwhite
This large nested case-control study shows that drug overdose was associated with a nearly 4-fold increase in the risk of cardiovascular disease; the risk was particularly high for arrhythmias,ischemic stroke, hemorrhagic stroke, and myocardial infarction. The cardiovascular risk was the highest on the day of overdose, and was no longer observed 2 days after overdose.
BC CDC Presenters
10/14/2020 6:15:00 PM
Estimating the prevalence of brain injury among people who had an illicit drug-related overdose in British Columbia, Canada Chloé Xavier
TEAM: Chloé Xavier, Margot Kuo, Roshni Desai, Gemma Regan, Bin Zhao, Wen Qi Gan, Amanda K. Slaunwhite
Case reports, community members, and media sources are increasingly identifying brain injury (BI) among people who had a drug-related overdose as a significant health issue with major implications for health and long-term care provision. The aim of this study was to examine the association between BI and illicit drug-related overdoses in BC between January 1, 2015 and December 31, 2017. This study is the first to estimate the prevalence ratio of BI among people who have had an overdose in a population based sample. Our findings demonstrate a significant association between BI and overdose, after adjusting for sex, age, mental illness and substance use disorder iagnoses, and income. This association highlights the potential devastating effect of the toxic drug supply on severe hypoxic and anoxic overdose events.
BC CDC Presenters
10/14/2020 5:45:00 PM
Evaluating Knowledge, Attitudes and Understanding of the Good Samaritan Drug Overdose Act in BC Jessica Xavier & Amiti Mehta
TEAM: Jane Buxton, Jessica Xavier, Amiti Mehta, Alissa Greer, Alexis Crabtree, Sarah Ferencz
In 2017, the Good Samaritan Drug Overdose Act (GSDOA) was passed to encourage bystanders to call 9-1-1 in the event of an overdose by providing legal protection for charges relating to simple drug possession. As part of a mixed-methods evaluation assessing knowledge and attitudes regarding the GSDOA, we conducted interviews with police. Findings suggest that police recognize overdose as a medical issue yet many officers had limited knowledge of the Act. Questions regarding the GSDOA were added to the harm reduction client survey. Findings indicate that 54% were aware of the Act and, of these, 45% and 61%, respectively, had a full understanding of when and to whom the Act provides protection. The findings from this study point to gaps in knowledge and highlight factors that may impact willingness to call 9-1-1.
BC CDC Presenters
10/14/2020 6:30:00 PM
Expanding the Concussion Awareness Training Tool (CATT) Kate Turcotte
TEAM: Shelina Babul, Kate Turcotte, Samantha Bruin, Karen Sadler, Denise Beaton, Shazya Karmali
Concussion is gaining wide recognition as a serious health issue. CATT is expanding to meet concussion education and resource needs of diverse audiences, including medical professions (pediatricians, physiotherapists, occupational therapists), parents, teachers, high performance athletes, workers and their workplaces, and those working with the survivors of intimate partner violence. Tailored eLearning modules are available along with Return to Sport, School, Work and Activity strategies.
CATT has been piloted in Uganda to assess the effectiveness of eLearning to educate health professionals, coaches, and sport managers on the recognition and management of concussion in East Africa.
BC CDC Presenters
10/14/2020 9:45:00 PM
Exploratory Analysis of Antibiotic Prescription Duration among BC Healthcare Professionals (1996-2018) Anastasiia Lisovskaia
TEAM: Anastasiia Lisovskaia, Abdullah Mamun, David Patrick
A growing body of research, including systematic reviews and RCTs, is documenting that shorter courses of antimicrobials are no less effective that traditional longer courses for treating common bacterial infections while providing important health benefits for both individuals and society. The project aims to investigate the duration of antibiotic prescriptions by healthcare profession, major drug class and indication of prescription, age group and gender) using community-level BC PharmaNet data
(matched with MSP data to get diagnoses). The findings will then be used to assess adherence to current antibiotic treatment guidelines and provide evidence to help communicate with BC healthcare providers and encourage them to optimize the duration of antibiotic prescriptions.
BC CDC Presenters
10/14/2020 9:30:00 PM
Exploring The Landscape of Digital Public Health Research Using Text Mining Siliang (Celine) Liu
Siliang (Celine) Liu, Hyeju Jang, Hsiu-Ju Chang, Alice X.T. Xu, Ihoghosa Iyamu, Mark Gilbert
The research on digital public health is growing and evolving rapidly. Categorizing large numbers of studies from a rapidly growing subject area into systematic reviews and interpreting the results in a logical way can be challenging. This study aimed to map research literature within this field and to identify research clusters and gaps using text mining techniques. We processed ~26,000 abstracts of related publications between 2000 and 2020 and identified major research topics and trends of publications. The findings of this study can inform digital public health strategy development, and facilitate digital public health research and initiatives.
BC CDC Presenters
10/14/2020 9:05:00 PM
Gina Ogilvie - Manish Sadarangani: Intention to Receive COVID-19 Vaccines in British Columbia
Gina Ogilvie & Manish Sadarangani
COVID-19 RESPPONSE Survey Team: Lori Brotto, Angela Kaida, Liisa Galea, Arianne Albert, Laurie Smith, Amy Booth, Shanlea Gordon; BC Teachers’ Immunization Survey Team: C. Sarai Racey, Robine Donken, Imogen Porter, Julie Bettinger, Meena Dawar, Mike Gagel, Rakel Kling, Silvina Mema, Issy Aguiar, Ian Roe, Hana Mijovic
To support COVID-19 vaccine implementation, we administered cross-sectional surveys to (i) a representative sample of the BC population and (ii) public and independent
school teachers to explore intentions to receive COVID-19 vaccines. Of the 3,425 BC population respondents, 79.7% of respondents reported they were likely/very
likely to receive the vaccine. 89.1% reported that the BC PHO’s recommendations were important to follow – the highest among potential influencers. 69.9% reported they intend to receive the flu vaccine in the fall, compared to 38% who said they received the flu vaccine in 2017-18. Teachers’ intentions to be vaccinated against COVID-19 were high: 89.6% of the 5,089 BC teachers reported they were likely/very likely to receive the vaccine, which may help with transmission control in schools.
BC CDC Presenters
10/15/2020 6:35:00 PM
Healthy Social Environments: the role and impact of neighborhood design on social connections and resilient communities Charito Gailling
TEAM: Tannis Cheadle, Alexis Erlichman, Kelsey Yamasaki, Charito Gailling
As we continue to witness the impacts of COVID-19 on BC communities, the important role that social connections and neighborhood design have in supporting the Success of public health measures have been starkly highlighted. This review study gathers research findings and expert opinion on the associations between social connectivity and 10 local area assets such as civic engagement, housing, transportation, food systems, natural environments, local economies, and recreation. Our goal is to offer evidence-based and healthinformed practice principles for local governments looking for guidance on how to “build back better”, minimize unintended consequences, and work towards more equitable and sustainable communities after COVID-19.
BC CDC Presenters
10/14/2020 10:05:00 PM
High resolution characterization of global Salmonella subpopulations using whole genome sequencing data Jimmy Liu
TEAM: Jimmy Liu, William Hsiao
Over the course of long evolutionary histories, existing pathogens have adapted to various niches, establishing stable subpopulations that are dessimated globally. The designation of these subpopulations or subtyping is critical for risk assessments and longitudinal surveillance. To date, serotyping remains as the main method for Salmonella subtyping; however, it offers low discriminatory power due to the limited targets of comparison. We compared ~180,000 Salmonella whole genome sequences from 157 countries to differentiate Salmonella subtypes at a higher resolution. We described additional pitfalls of serotyping by revealing the discorrelation between antigenic and core genome variation.
BC CDC Presenters
10/14/2020 10:05:00 PM
Hsiu-Ju Chang: Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Sexual Behaviours & Sexual Healthcare Access in BC
Little is known about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on sexual health. To understand the impact in BC, we conducted an anonymous online survey from July
21 – Aug 4, 2020 with clients of BC Centre for Disease Control’s sexually transmitted infections clinic and GetCheckedOnline. Preliminary results from 1198 completed
surveys showed that during the pandemic, many people changed sexual behaviours, had unmet sexual health service needs, and felt judged or ashamed about their sex
lives. Our study highlights the ongoing need for sex-positive health promotion, and will inform planning of sexual health services for future phases of the pandemic.
TEAM: Hsiu-Ju Chang, Aidan Ablona, Gina Ogilvie, Troy Grennan, Jason Wong, Travis Salway, Devon Haag, Heather Pedersen, Laurence Campeau, Ellen Korol, Maja Karlsson, Sophie Bannar-Martin, Geoffrey Ford, Shain Gillick, Darren Ho, Jillian Arkles-Schwandt, Daniel Grace, Catherine Worthington, Mark Gilbert
BC CDC Presenters
10/13/2020 7:20:00 PM
Jessica Moe: Microdosing and Standard Dosing Take-Home Buprenophine from the Emergency Department: A Feasibility Study
Emergency department (ED) buprenorphine may prevent overdose. Microdosing is a novel method not requiring withdrawal, a barrier to standard inductions. We aimed
to evaluate the feasibility of an ED buprenorphine program providing standard dosing and microdosing take-home packages, and of randomizing to these interventions.
We screened ED patients for opioid use disorder and provided 21 standard dosing and 25 microdosing packages. At least 24% (standard dosing) and 32% (microdosing)
remained on opioid agonist therapy at 30 days. We conclude that ED standard dosing and microdosing buprenorphine programs are feasible, and a randomized controlled trial would be acceptable to our population.
BC CDC Presenters
10/15/2020 5:20:00 PM
Lymphogranuloma venereum in British Columbia, 2019: Epidemiology and risk factors in the post-PrEP era Amit Gupta, Tessa Tattersall Lawson, Troy Grennan
TEAM: Amit Gupta, Tessa Tattersall Lawson, Troy Grennan
Since the beginning of community spread of lymphogranuloma venereum (LGV) in BC in 2003, LGV has rapidly increased its prevalence among MSM living with HIV. We present the epidemiology of LGV in the post-PrEP era to contrast changes in the presentation of the disease and the populations affected since the introduction of publicly funded PrEP in 2017.
BC CDC Presenters
10/14/2020 9:05:00 PM
Malaria PCR Contamination Troubleshooting Sydney Schwartz
Sydney Schwartz, Martin Cheung, Navdeep Chahil, Muhammad Morshed
The Parasitology Public Health Laboratory was experiencing Plasmodium falciparum contamination issues with an in-house
Malaria PCR assay therefore an investigation was deployed to find the source of the contamination. This investigation provides an insight to the work process around contamination troubleshooting and may be useful to PCR-centric laboratories.
BC CDC Presenters
10/14/2020 10:30:00 PM
Meghan McLennan, Hind Sbihi : Swish, Gargle and Spit - Implementing and Evaluating Saline Gargle for School-aged Children in BC
As COVID raced across the world in March and April, global supply chains faltered. The short-comings of “just in time” delivery systems were exposed and supplies critical
for COVID testing were rapidly depleted. NP swabs were no exception – how do you test for COVID without NP swabs? BCCDC PHL and C&W Department of Pathology
and Laboratory Medicine searched for alternatives. Full re-opening of schools would lead to an increased demand for testing K – 12 students – a process that could be traumatic for the children, parents and collection centre staff. This is the story of the evolution, evaluation and implementation of the saline gargle (SG) for K-12 in
BC as well as the reporting on its performance (e.g. positivity rates, testing volumes). Further, we demonstrate that NP and SG testing results characterize two distinct
populations, possibly reflective of disease severity or inability to collect SG samples.
Other team members: David Goldfarb, Yayuk Joffres, Chris Fjell, Troy Grennan, Heather Pederson, Libby Brown, Heather Amos, Esther Tong, Trisha Thomson, Christy Hay, Karen Mooder, Geoffrey Ford, Blake Gilks, Linda Hoang
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10/13/2020 5:50:00 PM
Mental health impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on children and youth Hasina Samji
Hasina Samji, Judy Wu, Amilya Ladak, Caralyn Vossen, Gaelen Snell
The COVID-19 pandemic poses an unprecedented and unknown threat to global mental health. Children and youth who are at a critical developmental juncture may be more susceptible to mental health impacts stemming from fear of infection, home confinement, organizational closures, physical distancing mandates, and other pressures. We conducted a systematic review of existing evidence of the COVID-19 pandemic’s population-level impact on the global mental health of children and youth 19 years of age and identified personal and contextual factors which may enhance risk or confer protection against negative mental health outcomes.
BC CDC Presenters
10/14/2020 11:30:00 PM
Occurrence Patterns of Diabetes Comorbidities among Residents (20+) in British Columbia (BC) Max Xie
TEAM: Max Xie, Drona Rasali, Caren Rose and Crystal Li
The occurrence of chronic disease comorbidities in adults results in worse health outcomes, complex clinical management and higher health care costs. We analyzed the occurrence of comorbidities among a diabetes incident cohort of individuals aged =20 years in 2000/01 from BC’s Chronic Disease Registry, and followed them for 15 years to visualize the occurrence patterns of comorbidities. There were 19,884 (0.64%) individuals who were diagnosed with diabetes meeting its case definition in that fiscal year amongst those =20 years of age in the BC population. Heat maps showed that the development of 17 selected chronic conditions varied by age and sex post diagnosis. The most common chronic conditions occurring as a comorbidity were Hypertension, Ischemic Heart Disease and Osteoarthritis.
BC CDC Presenters
10/14/2020 10:30:00 PM
October 13 - Summary of Day's Presentation
Details to be provided shortly
BC CDC Presenters
10/13/2020 7:40:00 PM
Outpatient Care and Risk of Overdose in the 30 Days Following Release from Prison: Kate McLeod
Kate McLeod, Jane A. Buxton, Ehsan Karim, Ruth Elwood Martin, Amanda Slaunwhite
In the weeks after release from prison, people are at a greatly increased risk of non-fatal and fatal overdose. Disruptions in healthcare are common during this transition from prison to community. We are completing a retrospective cohort study in the Provincial Overdose Cohort to examine the relationship between use of outpatient healthcare services in the 30 days following release from provincial prison and risk of overdose in this same time period.
BC CDC Presenters
10/14/2020 5:30:00 PM
Perceived barriers to time outdoors in early childhood education centres Tina Cheng
TEAM: Tina Cheng, Mariana Brussoni, Christina Han, Fritha Munday, Megan Zeni
Transmission of COVID is less likely outdoors and play outdoors is crucial for children’s healthy development. We conducted focus groups to examine early childhood educators’ challenges in promoting children’s outdoor play. Challenges ranged from individual-level concerns (e.g.,knowledge and skills), interpersonal and organizational concerns (e.g.,lack of shared understanding with parents and colleagues), and communal and societal concerns (e.g. societal impression of unstructured outdoor play and the associated risks). We present evidence-based strategies for change.
BC CDC Presenters
10/14/2020 10:45:00 PM
Preliminary results of the Dual Daily HIV and Syphilis Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (DuDHS) Trial Tessa Lawson Tattersall
Tessa Lawson Tattersall, Joshua Edward, Saira Mohammed, Amit Gupta, Aidan Ablona, Mark Hull, Troy Grennan
The incidence of syphilis is rising and is, along with HIV, overrepresented among men who have sex with men (MSM). Daily doxycycline has shown promising results as syphilis preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP); however, little is known about the feasibility of combined syphilis and HIV PrEP. The DuDHS trial is a randomized controlled trial to determine the feasibility of combined HIV and syphilis PrEP among MSM. Baseline demographics, sexual behaviours, incidence rates for sexually transmitted infection (STI), drug side effects, and adverse events in the first 24 weeks of follow-up are reported.
BC CDC Presenters
10/14/2020 9:15:00 PM
PREVENTABLE- The intersection between social marketing and injury prevention. Laura Dale
TEAM: Laura Dale, Samantha Bruin, Kevin La Freniere, Ian Pike
Each year in British Columbia (BC) over 500,000 people are injured and require medical attention, over 2,000 of whom died. These injuries result in significant social and economic burden (in direct healthcare costs) with estimates exceeding $2 billion dollars annually. The majority of these injuries/deaths are predictable and preventable. Preventable is a nonprofit social marketing campaign focusing on addressing a commonly held attitude at the root of serious injuries: “It’s not going to happen to me”. Shifting attitudes requires investment; through mass media, guerrilla and community events, Preventable uses evidence-based strategies to engage BC adults on their own terms. The Preventable model has broad application to other primary prevention priorities looking to target shifts in attitudes and ultimately change behaviour.
BC CDC Presenters
10/14/2020 9:45:00 PM
Qualitative Evaluation of the Uptake, Utility, and Impact of Pulse Oximeters in Overdose Response Environments in British Columbia: Damian Feldman-Kiss
Damian Feldman-Kiss, Zahra Mamdani, Sophie McKenzie, Jane A.Buxton
Overdoses related to benzodiazepines and their analogs have been rising in BC. The key intervention is giving rescue breaths to restore blood oxygen levels. To assist assessment and monitoring and reduce the risk of SARS-CoV-2 transmission, we provided pulse oximeters to experiential workers (EW) at SOLID Outreach (Victoria) and RainCity Housing (Vancouver and Maple Ridge). Using qualitative interviews, we evaluated the uptake, utility, and impact of pulse oximetry among EWs at these sites. Pulse oximetry provides supplemental data to aid decision-making regarding interventions. They also increase the confidence of responders and improve communication, collaboration, and professionalism.
BC CDC Presenters
10/15/2020 5:55:00 PM
Respiratory outcomes 12 weeks after COVID-19 infection: a prospective cohort of hospitalised patients
TEAM: Drs. Aditi S Shah, Alyson W Wong, Cameron J Hague, Darra T Murphy, James C Johnston, Christopher J Ryerson and Christopher Carlsten
Studies of Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) survivors in terms of residual lung pathophysiology are limited. Accordingly, we characterize chest CT and complete pulmonary function testing in a cohort of hospitalized COVID-19 patients 3 months after symptom onset. We show that majority of patients recovering after COVID-19 hospitalization have persistent lung function and chest imaging abnormalities 12 weeks after symptom onset. We also examined clinical predictors of persistent dyspnea and chest CT imaging abnormalities and demonstrate association between these clinical outcomes with days on oxygen supplementation that was used as a proxy of disease severity. Our findings demonstrate the need for early and aggressive intervention.
BC CDC Presenters
10/14/2020 6:15:00 PM
ROSE: A peer-developed support intervention for experiential workers in overdose response settings Zahra Mamdani & Sophie McKenzie
BC CDC Presenters
10/16/2020 6:00:00 PM
Rumination, Risk, and Response: Exploring sexual health-related anxiety among online sexual health chat service users Sarah Watt
Sarah Watt, Travis Salway, Lindsay Barton, Oralia Gómez-Ramírez, Aidan Ablona, Hsiu-Ju Chang, Heather Pedersen, Devon Haag, Mark Gilbert
We used data from the SmartSexResource anonymous chat service to characterize expressions of anxiety among chat users and nurse responses to anxiety. Among chat users, we identified: pronounced anxiety and emotional distress, particularly regarding HIV (e.g. acquisition, symptoms); exaggerated appraisal of HIV-transmission risk in tandem with sex-related shame and stigma; and patterns of rumination in which concerns remained unresolved by HIV education or testing interventions. Chat users experiencing persistent anxiety may benefit from mental health supports. Online sexual health services provide opportunities to connect chat users with appropriate mental health services.
BC CDC Presenters
10/14/2020 9:15:00 PM
Samantha Pawar: Characteristics of BC Children and Youth at High-Risk for Self-Harm Poisoning
Poisoning is a significant public health concern in BC. While efforts to resolve the opioid crisis are imperative, our exploration of poisoning-related data in BC has
highlighted devastating rates of self-harm poisoning among children and youth. Such events are far too common, yet these preventable injuries garner relatively little
attention. This study has evaluated child and youth self-harm poisoning epidemiological trends in BC, as well as self-harm poisoning rates by neighbourhood socioeconomic status. A geospatial analysis was conducted to determine child and youth self-harm poisoning rates by region within BC, and these rates were compared to
accessibility of local mental health services.
TEAM: Samantha Pawer, Fahra Rajabali, Alex Zheng, Jennifer Smith, Anand Dhatt, Roy Purssell, Ian Pike
BC CDC Presenters
10/15/2020 5:35:00 PM
Sarah B. Henderson: Hot Weather and Mortality Related to Acute Cocaine, Opiod, and Amphetamine Toxicity in BC.
Drug use can affect thermoregulation, which may lead to higher risk of morbidity and mortality during hot weather. We examined ~2000 summertime deaths attributed to
acute cocaine, opioid, and/or amphetamine toxicity using a case-crossover design. On the hottest days, mortality was most consistently associated with evidence of
cocaine toxicity, either alone or in combination with the other substances. When cocaine was present alone or with opioids, the odds ratio [95% confidence interval]
for mortality was approximately 1.5 [1.0, 2.0]. When cocaine, opioids, and amphetamines were combined, the odds ratio increased to 3.0 [1.5, 7.0] though the number
of decedents was small. Overall, these results suggest that specific public health messaging is needed for drug users during hot weather events. :
TEAM: Sarah B. Henderson, Jiayun Yao, Yue Ding, David McVea, Tom Kosatsky
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10/15/2020 5:05:00 PM
The COVID-19 ASSESS-DBS Study: Mitigating the impact of COVID-19 on marginalized people through through use of dried blood spots for SARS-CoV-2 antibody testing
TEAM: Sofia Bartlett, Agatha Jassem, Vilte Barakauskas, David Goldfarb, Graham Sinclair, Paul Levett, Michelle Dittrick, Mel Krajden, Patricia Spittal, Christian Schutz, Manish Sadarangani, Danuta Skowronski, Inna Sekirov, Muhammad Morshed.
COVID-19 seroprevalence studies among people who are in prison, or who work in prisons, will help us understand if our current testing approaches and policies are adequate to prevent SARS-CoV-2 transmission in these facilities. We are completing a cross-sectional study to investigate the seroprevalence of SARSCoV-2 antibodies among people who are incarcerated in British Columbia (BC) Provincial Correctional Centres, as well as staff that work in these facilities. This will be achieved by collecting
Dried Blood Spot (‘DBS’) samples from 1000 voluntary participants recruited from across all 10 BC Provincial Correctional Centres, including people who are incarcerated and staff in the prisons.
BC CDC Presenters
10/14/2020 5:40:00 PM
Tyler Yan - Dr Ran Goldman: Caregiver's Wllingness to Accept Expedited Vaccing Research and Intent to Vaccinate their Children During the COVID-19 Pandemic
TEAM Ran D. Goldman, Tyler D. Yan, Shashidhar R. Marneni Michelle Seiler, Cristina Parra: Cotanda, Julie C. Brown, Eileen J. Klein, Julia Hoeffe, Renana Gelernter, Jeanine E. Hall, Adrienne L. Davis, Mark A. Griffiths, Ahmed Mater, Sergio Manzano, Gianluca Gualco, Naoki Sh :imizu, Thomas L. Hurt, Sara Ahmed, Matt Hansen, David Sheridan, Samina Ali, Graham C. Thompson, Nathalie Gaucher, Georg Staubli
The uptake of a COVID-19 vaccine among children will be instrumental in limiting the spread of the disease. Some vaccine candidates have gained fast-track status for
regulatory approval, with the first Phase 3 trials beginning in July 2020. We conducted an international survey of caregivers arriving with their children to pediatric emergency departments across six countries in the midst of the pandemic and found that less than half are willing to accept abbreviated COVID-19 vaccine testing, though 65% intent to vaccinate their children. We identified certain child and caregiver factors as associated predictors and qualitatively evaluated commonly reported reasons for acceptance and refusal.
BC CDC Presenters
10/15/2020 6:50:00 PM
Validation and scale-up of COVID-19 genomics for use in a public health laboratory – the BC experience: Rebecca Hickman & Natalie Prystajecky
TEAM: Tracy Lee, Rebecca Hickman, Dan Fornika, Jason Nguyen, Shannon Russell, Kimia Kamelian, Linda Hoang, Natalie Prystajecky
Genomics has proven very important in understanding the transmission of SARS-CoV-2. We validated a 1200bp amplicon sequencing method (Freed protocol) with the Illumina DNA Prep protocol. The method was validated using both manual and automated library preparation. We were able to generate reliable and high-quality data with fewer failures for samples with lower viral loads, when compared to the widely used Artic protocol. With liquid handling, sample multiplexing and higher output instruments, we anticipate being able to scale up sequencing capacity to greater than 1000 genomes per week. This will increase BCCDC PHL’s ability to use genomics as a critical
tool in public health response.
BC CDC Presenters
10/14/2020 5:05:00 PM
Welcome and David Patrick: COVID Research in Context: Milestones, Challenges and Lessons for the Future
In the past nine months there’s been a remarkable effort to understand and elucidated the pathogen we now know as SARS-CoV-2. David Patrick will give an overview of some of the seminal research discoveries, what still lies ahead, and how what we’ve learned-- and the way we learn--will impact our future approaches to infectious disease research and response.
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10/13/2020 5:00:00 PM
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