Why drivers in Eastern Canada could see big gas price spikes, and other Canadians won't
Drivers in Eastern Canada face a big increase in gas prices because of various factors, especially the higher cost of the summer blend, industry analysts say.
Scientists believe they have identified potential genetic risk factors that may explain why some people lose their sense of taste and smell when they have COVID-19.
In a study published in the journal Nature Genetics on Monday, researchers using online surveys collected self-reported data regarding COVID-19 related loss of smell or taste from more than one million 23andMe research participants, of whom 69,841 reported a positive COVID-19 test.
Their involvement is part of the wider 23andMe COVID-19 project, of which several members of the study team work directly with, for, or hold stocks in the company.
The study then contrasted COVID-19 positive participants who reported a loss of taste and smell with those who tested positive but did not report a loss of smell or taste.
The researchers note that because their survey question combined both loss of taste or smell, their results cannot be certain to relate to one symptom or the other.
Of the participants who self-reported a positive COVID-19 test, 68 per cent reported loss of smell or taste as a symptom, with women more likely at 72 per cent versus men at 61 per cent to list it as a symptom.
Loss of smell or taste was much more common among those with a positive COVID-19 test compared to those who self-reported cold or flu-like symptoms but tested negative for COVID-19, the study states.
The study also notes that people of East Asian or African American ancestry were less likely to report loss of smell or taste relative to people of European ancestry according to a logistic regression model, however that could be due to the limited reference data.
By comparing genetic differences between those who reported sensory loss and those who did not, the study found a fixed position of a gene (locus) on a chromosome, associated with olfactory neurons called UGT2A1 and UGT2A2, that appears to be the difference between participants with and without sensory loss as a symptom.
Both of the genes are found in nose tissue which metabolizes odours and involved in smelling.
The study was unable to pin down exactly how UGT2A1 and UGT2A2 are involved, but posit that their impairment from infected cells may lead to smell loss.
With loss of taste and smell a signature symptom for much of the pandemic, the study’s findings open up avenues to further investigate how the virus affects people differently and how to find treatments.
Drivers in Eastern Canada face a big increase in gas prices because of various factors, especially the higher cost of the summer blend, industry analysts say.
The journey to home ownership can be exciting, but personal finance columnist Christopher Liew warns about the trappings of becoming 'house poor' -- where an overwhelming portion of your income is devoured by housing costs. Liew offers some practical strategies to maintain better financial health while owning a home.
As the United States sets its first national limits on toxic forever chemicals in drinking water, researchers say Canada is lagging when it comes to regulations.
A Winnipeg woman was sentenced to house arrest after a single date with a man she met online culminated in her harassing him for years, and spurred false allegations which resulted in the innocent man being arrested three times.
It took years for Vinnie Deluca to collect more than 400 cards worth of free McDonald's McCafe coffee, a collection that now has "zero value" after the company discontinued the program.
U.S. President Joe Biden will accept endorsements from at least 15 members of the Kennedy political family during a campaign stop in Philadelphia on Thursday as he aims to undermine Donald Trump and marginalize the candidacy of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Almost 7,000 bars of pure gold were stolen from Pearson International Airport exactly one year ago during an elaborate heist, but so far only a tiny fraction of that stolen loot has been found.
New archeological investigations in Guatemala reveal that the ancient Maya people had a ritual of burning royal human remains as a public display of political regime change.
Mullett Arena buzzed like few times in the two years since the Arizona Coyotes moved in, the fans amped for one last desert hurrah.
When Les Robertson was walking home from the gym in North Vancouver's Lower Lonsdale neighbourhood three weeks ago, he did a double take. Standing near a burrow it had dug in a vacant lot near East 1st Street and St. Georges Avenue was a yellow-bellied marmot.
A moulting seal who was relocated after drawing daily crowds of onlookers in Greater Victoria has made a surprise return, after what officials described as an 'astonishing' six-day journey.
Just steps from Parliament Hill is a barber shop that for the last 100 years has catered to everyone from prime ministers to tourists.
A high score on a Foo Fighters pinball machine has Edmonton player Dave Formenti on a high.
A compound used to treat sour gas that's been linked to fertility issues in cattle has been found throughout groundwater in the Prairies, according to a new study.
While many people choose to keep their medical appointments private, four longtime friends decided to undergo vasectomies as a group in B.C.'s Lower Mainland.
A popular highway in Alberta's Banff National Park now has a 'no stopping zone' to help protect two bears.
B.C. resident Robert Conrad spent thousands of hours on Crown land developing an unusual bond with deer.
A Sudbury woman said her husband was bringing the recycling out to the curb Wednesday night when he had to make a 'mad dash' inside after seeing a bear.