A COVID-19 variant linked to record-breaking case numbers in India has been identified in B.C. and Quebec. On April 22, Canada announced a 30-day ban on international flights from India and Pakistan as COVID-19 cases soar.
UBC experts are available to comment on the ‘double mutant’ variant known as B.1.617 and associated policy impacts. Interviews will be conducted by phone or virtually in order to practice effective physical distancing.
For the latest updated information on UBC’s response, please visit ubc.ca. Information on the latest confirmed cases in B.C. and globally is available here.
To visit the UBC COVID-19 research website, click here.
Dr. Horacio Bach
Adjunct Professor, Division of Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Medicine
Tel: 604-727-9719
Email: hbach@mail.ubc.ca
Language(s): English
- Infectious diseases
Dr. Jeffrey Joy
Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine
Tel: 604-368-5569
Email: jjoy@bccfe.ca
Language(s): English
- Variants of concern: origins, evolution, spread, characteristics and genomic epidemiology
Dr. Katrina Plamondon (she/her)
Assistant Professor, School of Nursing, UBC Okanagan
Tel: 778-392-8111
Email: katrina.plamondon@ubc.ca
Language(s): English
- Global health equity, global health governance, equity and issues of access to vaccines/care
*weekend interviews should be arranged ahead of time via email
Dr. Terrance Snutch
Professor, Michael Smith Laboratories
Tel: 604-822-6968
Email: snutch@msl.ubc.ca
Language(s): English
- Founder and chair of Canadian COVID-19 Viral Genomics Network, SARS-CoV-2 genome sequencing strategies/methods, variants of interest/concern, proactive detection efforts, national coordination efforts
Dr. Veena Sriram
Assistant Professor, School of Public Policy and Global Affairs (SPPGA) and the School of Population and Public Health (SPPH)
Tel: +1-847-275-3655
Email: veena.sriram@ubc.ca
Language(s): English
- Healthy policy and systems in India
- Health systems challenges in addressing COVID-19
- Governance and politics pertaining to health policy
- Impacts of current wave in India on Canada
*unavailable on Friday between 8-9 a.m. and 2-3:30 p.m.