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Science and Research

A coronavirus is a type of virus that often causes respiratory tract infections in humans. Viruses from this group are responsible for some cases of the common cold as well as for more serious illnesses such as SARS, MERS, and most recently, COVID-19. The specific coronavirus that results in the COVID-19 illness is called SARS-CoV-2 (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2). For more information, take a look at the following sources.

COVID-19 Explained

Understanding the science behind COVID-19 can be challenging for those of us who don't have a solid background in the study of infectious diseases or related fields. Below are some resources that help to break down what is currently known for a lay audience.

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A free online course to bring you up to speed on coronaviruses like SARS-CoV-2 and the infectious diseases they cause. Taught by experts in the fields of virology and epidemiology.

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A University of British Columbia (UBC) Library research guide that promotes trustworthy, high-quality sources of information about COVID-19. Updates ceased in July 2023. 

Academic Research

A number of major academic publishers and distributors have made their vast portfolios of coronavirus literature available to the public at no cost. If you're interested in examining the scientific research that abounds on the topic of COVID-19, try out the following portals.

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The World Health Organization's (WHO) online portal for accessing international research into SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19.

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Direct access to the latest available coronavirus research, evidence, trials, and data on COVID-19. No paywall.

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Free full text access to academic journal articles, ebooks, and other content pertaining to COVID-19.

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A directory of COVID-19 resources for academic researchers, students, medical professionals, and health educators.

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A free online database of COVID-19 preprint papers awaiting peer-review and publication in scientific journals. Maintained by the nonprofit research organization, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSH).  

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Cochrane's systematic reviews of COVID-19 publications. 

Vaccines, Drugs, and Trials

Efforts continue by scientists all over the world to develop ongoing solutions that will protect humans from the ill effects of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Find information on vaccines, drugs, clinical trials, and ongoing research projects below.

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Up-to-date information related to authorized vaccines and treatments for COVID-19.

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Detailed data sets from international clinical trials available for download.

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Learn about the World Health Organization's (WHO) multinational series of clinical trials - "Solidarity" and "Solidarity II" - as well as other ongoing collaborations with scientific institutes around the world.

Digital Library Resources

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An image of a coronavirus
Photo by CDC on Unsplash

These vendors and publishers have generously permitted temporary access to an array of resources.

Springer Nature
Taylor and Francis
UpToDate

Access:
Everywhere for everyone
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This resource offers comprehensive medical information for students, healthcare professionals and researchers. The content is built on a core of premier scholarly journals such as: The New England Journal of Medicine, The Lancet and The British Medical Journal.

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Everywhere for Vancouver residents
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Index of 4,300 biomedical journals covering the areas of medicine, nursing, dentistry, veterinary medicine, the health care system and preclinical sciences. 

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Everywhere for everyone
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Consumer friendly health information from the U.S. National Library of Medicine. Includes information on prescription drugs, non-prescription drugs and common medical conditions.

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Everywhere for everyone
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It is the world’s leading journal of original scientific research, global news, and commentary. Only accessible at the Central Branch.

Access:
At some VPL locations only