As novel coronavirus cases rise globally, along with deaths, developing a rapid test for COVID-19 is one of the key areas that researchers in Canada and around the world are targeting.
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Experts have said widespread testing is necessary because it allows for better management of an outbreak. The British government, for instance, bought 3.5 million antibody testing kits from various suppliers in late March, with the intention of making sure they work before distributing them.
“The sooner you know if someone’s positive or negative, then the more infection control and outbreak control you can put in place,” said Dr. Anna Banerji, an associate professor at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health at the University of Toronto.
“Because in that time period, when someone may not be sure, they could be potentially spreading the virus. I think people practise more infection control when they know that someone has a condition.”
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1:49 Coronavirus: Alberta Health Services explains why there is less testing in South Zone
Coronavirus: Alberta Health Services explains why there is less testing in South Zone
World Health Organization director-general Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has also urged this: “You can’t win a football game by defending, you have to attack as well.”
Countries must “test, test, test, test” in order to know who is infected and who needs to be isolated, he said earlier this month.
As of March 28, more than 184,000 people in Canada had been tested at provincial and national labs across the country. The total number of confirmed cases across the country have exceeded 5,500, with 61 deaths and 472 recoveries. But getting tested can be slow, with more than 8,600 people in Ontario still awaiting test results as of March 28.
Canada’s chief public health officer Dr. Theresa Tam has previously said testing centres have to “be smart” about who they test, due to supply issues.
Testing in Canada has been slow in getting set up, but Banerji said she expects it to increase.
“I expect in the next few weeks that the testing will be a lot more streamlined,” she said in a recent interview with Global News.
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1:55 Coronavirus outbreak: New antibody test could be key in COVID-19 fight
Coronavirus outbreak: New antibody test could be key in COVID-19 fight
Current testing for COVID-19 in Canada varies by jurisdiction, according to infectious disease expert Dr. Alon Vaisman.
In Toronto, University Health Network’s lab has a “fairly good” turnaround time of less than 24 hours, sometimes shorter, he said. But more remote areas might have a longer turnaround time. So it depends, he said.
2:25 Coronavirus outbreak: Trump says FDA has approved Chloroquine for COVID-19 testing
Coronavirus outbreak: Trump says FDA has approved Chloroquine for COVID-19 testing
“But in the places where they’re doing it rapidly and efficiently, it could be even as short as less than 12 hours, actually,” Vaisman said.
A rapid point-of-care test for COVID-19 would be “great,” he said. But until it’s published in a peer-reviewed journal, “it’s hard to know what exactly is the reality.”
Point-of-care testing is essentially “medical diagnostic testing performed outside the clinical laboratory, at or near, where a patient is receiving care,” according to the College of Medical Laboratory Technologists of Ontario.
1:40 Nova Scotia biologists working around the clock to test COVID-19
Nova Scotia biologists working around the clock to test COVID-19
It may or may not be carried out by lab personnel, with the results used for “clinical decision making.”
Point-of-care testing exists for HIV, for instance, where a nurse can draw a sample, place it in a testing tray and run the test right then and there, Vaisman said.
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“It would help hospitals make decisions regarding isolation and movement of patients and treatment,” he said. “So it’d be a pretty significant development.”
2:07 Coronavirus outbreak: Canada approves 2 new COVID-19 tests
Coronavirus outbreak: Canada approves 2 new COVID-19 tests
Developments in Canada
Canada has allocated millions in research dollars towards the new coronavirus, including a rapid point-of-care diagnostic test for the “quick isolation of those infected.”
Federal Health Minister Patty Hajdu signed an interim order around mid-March to expedite access to two new diagnostic tests to allow provincial labs to speed up testing.
The government’s plan to mobilize industry has also tapped into an Ottawa firm called Spartan that makes diagnostic equipment. The company has signed a letter of intent with the federal government.
Spartan is developing a portable device that could provide rapid COVID-19 test results, according to a statement by the Prime Minister’s Office.
The firm is in “discussions” with Health Canada as well as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for approval for the device, which could provide results within 30 minutes. A commercial test could be eight to 12 weeks away, according to Spartan.
2:00 Coronavirus outbreak: Ontario hoping to increase to 5,000 tests per day says Williams
Coronavirus outbreak: Ontario hoping to increase to 5,000 tests per day says Williams
“There’s a portable DNA analyzer, so you take that swab sample, you put it in the cartridge, the cartridge goes into the device and then it gives you results,” Spartan CEO Paul Lem told Global News Radio.
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It’s a diagnostic test that can detect infection in a person, and could be used in health-care facilities, community centres, airports or border crossings, he said.
From Ireland to Japan, there have been new developments in recent weeks when it come to rapid tests for COVID-19.
For instance, an Irish company called Assay Genie says it has a rapid test for COVID-19.
“Using a rapid COVID-19 test can identify more people who do not know they have been infected,” the website says, describing the test as for research use only.
A disclaimer adds: “While we believe this kit is to be an effective indicator of infection, we cannot guarantee 100% accuracy.”
1:21 Coronavirus: Manitoba’s first drive-thru testing site opens in Selkirk
Coronavirus: Manitoba’s first drive-thru testing site opens in Selkirk
Company co-founder Seán Mac Fhearraigh told Global News the rapid point-of-care test would use a drop of blood. The company began working on the test kits as soon as they heard about the new coronavirus, which first appeared in Wuhan in December 2019.
“We can see that every health-care system is under a terrible burden at the moment,” he said. A rapid test for COVID-19 could mean quicker decision-making for nurses and doctors.
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He says the test kit detects an immune response, and that the company is starting to test with a hospital in Ireland this week.
“Say we have an incredibly sick person,” Mac Fhearraigh said. “You have a fast result, 15 minutes, we can say: ‘Go isolate first for the six or seven hours that it might take to get a test result by the traditional method.’”
In the U.S., two rapid tests were recently approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
The second, Abbott Laboratories, says its tests can give results within 15 minutes.
In Japan, researchers have developed a test kit that, from start to finish, takes 40 minutes, according to the Nikkei Asian Review. Canon Medical started developing the kit in late February.
2:10 Italy’s coronavirus death toll jumps by nearly 800 in single day
Italy’s coronavirus death toll jumps by nearly 800 in single day
Researchers at Oxford University have touted a rapid COVID-19 test. The university’s engineering science department has teamed up with the Oxford Suzhou Centre for Advanced Research (OSCAR).
The university says the new test is “much faster” — with results in just half an hour — and negates the need for a complex instrument. Researchers there are arranging clinical validation trials soon.
— With files by Reuters, Global News reporter Leslie Young
TORONTO – Will Taylor Swift bring chaos or do we all need to calm down?
It’s a question many Torontonians are asking this week as the city braces for the massive fan base of one of the world’s biggest pop stars.
Hundreds of thousands of Swifties are expected to descend on downtown core for the singer’s six concerts which kick off Thursday at the Rogers Centre and run until Nov. 23.
And while their arrival will be a boon to tourism dollars, it could further clog the city’s already gridlocked streets.
Swift’s shows collide with other scheduled events at the nearby Scotiabank Arena, including a Toronto Raptors game on Friday and a Toronto Maple Leafs game on Saturday.
Some locals have already adjusted their plans to avoid the area.
Aahil Dayani says he and some friends intended to throw a birthday bash for one of their pals, until they realized it would overlap with the concerts.
“Ultimately, everybody agreed they just didn’t want to deal with that,” he said.
“Something as simple as getting together and having dinner is now thrown out the window.”
Dayani says the group rescheduled the birthday party for after Swift leaves town. In the meantime, he plans to hunker down at his Toronto residence.
“Her coming into town has kind of changed up my social life,” he added.
“We’re pretty much just not doing anything.”
Max Sinclair, chief executive and founder of A.I. technology firm Ecomtent, has suggested his employees stay away from the company’s downtown offices on concert days, since he doesn’t see the point in forcing people to endure potential traffic jams.
“It’s going to be less productive for us, and it’s going to be just a pain for everyone, so it’s easier to avoid it,” he said.
“We’re a hybrid company, so we can be flexible. It just makes sense.”
Toronto Transit Commission spokesperson Stuart Green says the public agency has been preparing for over a year to ease the pressure of so many Swifties in one confined area.
Dozens of buses and streetcars have been added to the transit routes around the stadium, while the TTC has consulted with the city on how to handle potential emergency scenarios.
“There may be some who will say we’re over-preparing, and that’s fair,” Green said.
“But we know based on what’s happened in other places, better to be over-prepared than under-prepared.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 13, 2024.
REDWOOD CITY, Calif. – Electronic Arts has incorporated the Professional Women’s Hockey League into its NHL 25 video game.
The six teams starting their second seasons Nov. 30 will be represented in “play now,” “online versus,” “shootout” and “season” modes, plus a championship Walter Cup, in the updated game scheduled for release Dec. 5, the PWHL and EA Sports announced Wednesday.
Gamers can create a virtual PWHL player.
The league and video game company have agreed to a multi-year partnership, the PWHL stated.
“Our partnership with EA SPORTS opens new doors to elevate women’s hockey across all levels,” said PWHL operations senior vice-president Amy Scheer in a statement.
“Through this alliance, we’ll develop in-game and out-of-game experiences that strengthen the bond between our teams, players, and fans, bringing the PWHL closer to the global hockey community.”
NHL 22 featured playable women’s teams for the first time through an agreement with the International Ice Hockey Federation.
Toronto Sceptres forward Sarah Nurse became the first woman to appear on the video game’s cover in 2023 alongside Anaheim Ducks centre Trevor Zegras.
The Ottawa Charge, Montreal Victoire, Boston Fleet, Minnesota Frost and New York Sirens round out the PWHL. The league announced team names and logos in September, and unveiled jerseys earlier this month.
“It is so meaningful that young girls will be able to see themselves in the game,” said Frost forward Taylor Heise, who grew up playing EA’s NHL games.
“It is a big milestone for inclusivity within the hockey community and shows that women’s prominence in hockey only continues to grow.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 13, 2024.
Maple Leaf Foods Inc. continued to navigate weaker consumer demand in the third quarter as it looked ahead to the spinoff of its pork business in 2025.
“This environment has a particularly significant impact on a premium portfolio like ours and I want you to know that we are not sitting still waiting for the macro environment to recover on its own,” said CEO Curtis Frank on a call with analysts.
Frank said the company is working to adapt its strategies to consumer demand. As inflation has stabilized and interest rates decline, he said pressure on consumers is expected to ease.
Maple Leaf reported a third-quarter profit of $17.7 million compared with a loss of $4.3 million in the same quarter last year.
The company says the profit amounted to 14 cents per share for the quarter ended Sept. 30 compared with a loss of four cents per share a year earlier. Sales for the quarter totalled $1.26 billion, up from $1.24 billion a year ago.
“At a strategic level … we’re certainly seeing the transitory impacts of an inflation-stressed consumer environment play through our business,” Frank said.
“We are seeing more trade-down than we would like. And we are making more investments to grow our volume and protect our market share than we would like in the moment. But again, we believe that those impacts will prove to be transitory as they have been over the course of history.”
Financial results are improving in the segment as feed costs have stabilized, said Dennis Organ, president, pork complex.
Maple Leaf, which is working to spin off its pork business into a new, publicly traded company to be called Canada Packers Inc. and led by Organ, also said it has identified a way to implement the plan through a tax-free “butterfly reorganization.”
Frank said Wednesday that the new structure will see Maple Leaf retain slightly lower ownership than previously intended.
The company said it continues to expect to complete the transaction next year. However, the spinoff under the new structure is subject to an advance tax ruling from the Canada Revenue Agency and will take longer than first anticipated.
Maple Leaf announced the spinoff in July with a plan to become a more focused consumer packaged goods company, including its Maple Leaf and Schneiders brands.
“The prospect of executing the transaction as a tax-free spin-off is a positive development as we continue to advance our strategy to unlock value and unleash the potential of these two unique and distinct businesses,” Frank said in the news release.
He also said that Maple Leaf is set on delivering profitability for its plant protein business in mid-2025.
“This includes the recent completion of a procurement project aimed at leveraging our purchasing scale,” he said.
On an adjusted basis, Maple Leaf says it earned 18 cents per share in its latest quarter compared with an adjusted profit of 13 cents per share in the same quarter last year.
The results were largely in line with expectations, said RBC analyst Irene Nattel in a note.
Maple Leaf shares were down 4.5 per cent in midday trading on the Toronto Stock Exchange at $21.49.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 13, 2024.
