Canada Funds Research on Respiratory Disease Transmission
On October 25, 2024, the Public Health Agency of Canada announced the allocation of research grants totaling $752,000 to four organizations. These grants are part of the Transmission Dynamics of Respiratory Infectious Diseases Research Funding Opportunity. The recipients include Queen’s University, Carleton University, the Ontario Agency for Health Protection and Promotion, and the University of Waterloo.
The funded projects aim to enhance understanding of how respiratory infectious diseases, such as COVID-19, influenza, and RSV, spread and how their transmission can be mitigated. Queen’s University will focus on the seasonal transmission of RSV and the duration of infectiousness across different age groups. Carleton University, in collaboration with the Bruyère Research Institute, will study indoor air quality and the spread of respiratory diseases in Ottawa's long-term care facilities.
The Ontario Agency for Health Protection and Promotion will investigate the duration of viral shedding for eight respiratory pathogens, examining variations by age, sex, and gender. The University of Waterloo will explore the impact of public health and environmental measures on the spread of respiratory diseases among younger school-aged children and the broader population of Ontario.