Ontario Lawyer Starts Clearinghouse for 
Information on Coronavirus and Family Law 
Attorney Russell Alexander gives information for families struggling during pandemic

LINDSAY, ONTARIO—Noted Ontario family lawyer Russell Alexander of Russell Alexander Collaborative Family Lawyers  has started an online clearinghouse for Ontario families struggling during the coronavirus pandemic.

On the firm’s new Covid-19 and Divorce Information Centre, people can get answers to questions about how to work remotely with their attorneys, how the pandemic may affect court dates and even how to avoid sparking a divorce during the stress of quarantine.

“The coronavirus is having massive effects on every part of society right now, and family law is no different,” said Alexander. “Given how central these questions are to your daily life, we know that they remain urgent, no matter what may be going on with the pandemic. And that’s not to mention the ways in which the virus may be exacerbating existing issues.”

Alexander, the author of the new book “Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Divorce,” which is scheduled to hit shelves later this year, specializes in collaborative law, in which families seek to avoid divisive and expensive courtroom battles in favor of working out their differences together. He says it can be especially helpful at a time when families are strained.

He created the new covid-19 divorce and information centre with a regular podcast, videos and links to further information, so that the website can be easily updated as the legal system responds to the ongoing pandemic.

“The coronavirus raises a lot of tricky new questions for parents sharing custody,” he said. “For example, how do you handle a government order to stay at home when a child typically splits their time between two homes? We don’t yet know all the answers, but we will share them with our audience as we find out.”

Alexander said that legal firms have been designated by the government as an essential service, so his team remains available to serve new and existing clients. But to protect their health and safety and that of their clients, the firm staff is working remotely.

 To visit the new Covid-19 and Divorce Information Centre, visit:  https://www.russellalexander.com/covid-19/ 

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Russell Alexander Collaborative Family Lawyers 
Russell Alexander Collaborative Family Lawyers is committed to practicing exclusively in the area of family law in Ontario dealing with all aspects, including separation and divorce, child custody and access, spousal support, child support, and division of family property. A team of lawyers provide guidance from start to finish, helping clients identify and understand the legal issues as well as the options and opportunities available through the transition. The firm has offices in Lindsay, Whitby, Oshawa, Markham, Peterborough and Toronto, Ontario. 

For more information, visit: http://www.russellalexander.com

Sun Life announces free virtual health care services to Group Benefits Clients

TORONTO, March 31, 2020 /CNW/ - As Canada and its health care system continue to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic, Sun Life is taking action to help support Clients and Canadians in need of enhanced medical support while social distancing. 

Starting today, Sun Life is progressively rolling out free access to virtual health care services for its Group Benefits Clients with an Extended Health Care (EHC) benefit. In partnership with Dialogue, Clients will be able to use the virtual clinic to connect directly with a health care professional. 

The service - Lumino Health Virtual Care - is being offered free of charge for an initial period to support Clients through the global health crisis. Sun Life is including the service into Clients' EHC Benefit, giving employers, employees and their families convenient access to health care, when and where they need it. 

Lumino Health Virtual Care brings the best of two offerings together – Lumino Health and Dialogue. Lumino Health is Sun Life's online digital platform that connects Canadians with local health care providers, offers health-related content and shares innovative health solutions to help Canadians live healthier lives. The virtual care service will be powered by Dialogue, Canada's leading telemedicine provider, dedicated exclusively to the world's leading organizations.

"Today, more than ever, our Clients need us," said Jacques Goulet, President, Sun Life Canada. "Our country is in the middle of a health crisis. Offering free virtual health care services to our Clients will hopefully relieve some of their stress, support social distancing efforts across the country and alleviate some of the load on Canada's emergency health care system. We are offering this service free of charge because it is the right thing to do," Goulet added. 

Clients can easily connect to the Lumino Health Virtual Care service through a mobile app or online. Once connected, the service will triage a Client before providing direct access to a care manager, nurse or physician. The service provides Clients with acute physical and mental health care, similar to medical services provided at a primary care clinic. A multi-disciplinary team will review symptoms, provide an assessment, create a personalized care plan, write prescriptions, and make referrals to specialists or in-person care if necessary. 

"Given the COVID-19 outbreak, access to health care has never been more critical. Dialogue is proud to continue playing a pivotal role, helping Canadians stay healthy and happy," says Cherif Habib, CEO of Dialogue. "Partnering with Sun Life will help millions of Canadians quickly access health care through our secure platform from the comfort of their home. This is needed now more than ever."   

Connecting all Canadians to virtual paramedical support

In addition to providing free virtual medical services to Group Benefits Clients, Sun Life has also taken action to support all Canadians through the COVID-19 pandemic.  

Through Lumino Health, all Canadians can access health care providers digitally. The platform enables Canadians to easily find and book an appointment with a health care professional, such as a psychologist, physiotherapist and other paramedical providers. 

In response to COVID-19, Lumino Health recently partnered with OnCall Health, a secure virtual care platform trusted by thousands of Canadian health care providers. This partnership enables paramedical providers on the Lumino Health platform to connect virtually with their patients. 

Click here for more information about Lumino Health.

About Sun Life
Sun Life is a leading international financial services organization providing insurance, wealth and asset management solutions to individual and corporate Clients. Sun Life has operations in a number of markets worldwide, including Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Hong Kong, the Philippines, Japan, Indonesia, India, China, Australia, Singapore, Vietnam, Malaysia and Bermuda. As of December 31, 2019, Sun Life had total assets under management of $1,099 billion. For more information, please visit www.sunlife.com.

Sun Life Financial Inc. trades on the Toronto (TSX), New York (NYSE) and Philippine (PSE) stock exchanges under the ticker symbol SLF.

About Dialogue Technologies Inc.
Dialogue is the leading Canadian telemedicine provider pioneering virtual healthcare dedicated exclusively to the world's leading organizations. We drive real health outcomes through amazing healthcare experiences, an employee engagement playbook, and a relentless focus on patient safety and security. For more information, please visit www.dialogue.co. 

Change Your Mind to Change Your Life: How an App is Making the Life-Changing Benefits of Hypnotherapy Available to Everyone

Christine Deschemin uses her therapeutic expertise to create a platform for anyone and everyone to heal and grow through the simple and proven technique of hypnotherapy.

HONGKONG (March 2020)- When many people think of hypnosis they think of scenes from television shows or movies. In reality, hypnotherapy put to use by experts has little in common with the common perception of it.  It has become a trusted solution for individuals and businesses alike, and it is being utilized by business leaders worldwide. Christine Deschemin, the creator of UpNow, an innovative new hypnotherapy app, wants to make hypnotherapy’s benefits available to everyone.

Hypnotherapy is something anyone who suffers from anxiety, stress, pain, or other everyday problems can put to use in their daily lives, and UpNow is looking to make this possible for anyone. UpNow’s series of self-hypnosis mp3s can be easily enjoyed in the comfort of home or anywhere that you are able to take a moment to pause, relax, and focus your mind. This makes them uniquely suited for even the most active and busy lifestyles.

Hypnosis, contrary to what you may think, is a natural state you have likely experienced before even if you have never tried hypnotherapy. Perhaps you have zoned out while driving your familiar route to work or become so engrossed in a movie you completely lost track of time. Each of these situations is an example of hypnosis.

If this state is so common in daily life, why not take advantage of it to become healthier and happier? What Deschemin aims to do with UpNow is to help you take control of this state of mind and use it to live a more positive lifestyle. UpNow makes this easy by offering an affordable selection of mp3s tailored for all kinds of goals such as improving sleep, career enhancement, and much, much more. All you need is your phone and a pair of headphones.

Deschemin knows you can become the best version of yourself with UpNow. Unlike other self-hypnosis apps, UpNow puts some of the most advanced and up to date hypnosis techniques into practice and has had proven success with everyone from athletes to children to C-suite executives. UpNow has even partnered with medical professionals, as doctors have become more and more aware of the many benefits of hypnotherapy.

Above all, Deschemin believes it’s possible for people from all walks of life to use UpNow to change their minds, and ultimately, their lives. Regular users’ results have demonstrated the connection between mindfulness, health, and success. Simply the most convenient and affordable option, UpNow is poised to become a staple for all who strive for a more fulfilling lifestyle.

Precision Biomonitoring Receives Letter of Intent from the Government of Canada for its Testing Capabilities in Response to COVID-19

Point-of-need COVID-19 test awaiting approval by Health Canada 

GUELPH, ON and MISSISSAUGA, ON, March 31, 2020 /CNW/ - Precision Biomonitoring, an industry leader in developing environmental DNA (eDNA) tools to detect organisms at the point-of-need in 60 minutes, announces that it has been selected by the Government of Canada through a Letter of Intent with Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) and Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) for its point-of-need SARS-CoV-2 Go-Strips test and battery-operated instrument in response to COVID-19. Precision Biomonitoring is one of the first ten companies to receive a Letter of Intent in the COVID-19 procurement space.

SARS-CoV-2 Go-Strips detect the RNA of severe acute respiratory syndrome, COVID-19. The COVID-19 RNA targets are multiplexed together with Biomeme's RNA positive control, which is an RNA extraction and RT-PCR control, allowing results to be obtained onsite in 60 minutes. Early identification and diagnosis of COVID-19 is crucial to ensure a rapid response, thus mitigating the possible additional negative consequences of the virus. Weighing only 1.2 kg and battery-operated, Precision Biomonitoring's mobile solution is ideal for all point-of-need locations where screening is needed for vulnerable populations such as assessment centers, long-term care homes, ships, airports, borders and more distant regions and remote areas. The test is currently awaiting Health Canada approval.

"We are immensely proud to have been selected as an early partner by our Federal Government," says Dr. Mario Thomas, CEO, Precision Biomonitoring. "Precision Biomonitoring's innovative point-of-need testing device addresses the call made by the Government of Canada's Plan to Mobilize Industry to fight COVID-19. By pivoting and building from our experience in the sensitive area of food and water safety we are now looking forward to working with the Canadian health care community during this unprecedented time."

With the ability to administer nine tests per hour at the point-of-need in 60 minutes, the SARS-CoV-2 Go-Strips will help contribute to the call from all levels of government to increase testing capacity for COVID-19. 

About Precision Biomonitoring SARS-CoV-2 Go-Strips
Precision Biomonitoring's easy-to-use Go-Strips are a mobile solution for health care providers in Ontario and across Canada. The device can be transported in a laptop-sized bag, ideal for on the spot tests, especially when results are needed now in emergency rooms and more rural and remote regions.

About Precision Biomonitoring 
Founded in 2016 by a team of scientists from the University of Guelph's Biodiversity Institute of Ontario, Precision Biomonitoring provides TripleLock™ onsite eDNA surveillance platform solutions that give customers earlier detection of organisms for a more rapid response. Customers are any organizations that need onsite surveillance and rapid identification of any organism in any environment. The Precision Biomonitoring team is at the forefront of technological innovations in the genomics industry. Our vision is a world where we can identify any organism on the spot, in an instant, anywhere on the planet. 

SOURCE Precision Biomonitoring

Meditation App Offers Special Session for Those Under Quarantine

With most of the world under quarantine, people are looking for ways to relax and accept their situation.  Meditation app Namatata offers a special session that will remain free throughout the entire confinement period.

Created in partnership with psychiatrist François Bourgognon, the French leader of mobile meditation applications, Namatata, offers a fun and simple way to meditate, with pre-recorded sessions, to all its users. As most people are currently confined at home, the application is ideal for starting up new practices, relaxing, and better accepting the situation. As part of the launch of its English version, Namatata offers seven days free, including a “special confinement” meditation of ten minutes to help everyone best undertake their confinement. This special meditation will remain available for free throughout the entire confinement period.

Better undertake the confinement through meditation 

Scientists and doctors have shown that meditation is effective in dealing with stress, anxiety and improving sleep.  In confinement, alone or with others, these problems can arise more easily. Anxiety during a health crisis is very important, as it brings up legitimate questions of one’s own health, as well as the health of their loved ones.

When all these thoughts and emotions come to attack us in a way, meditation can often be the best way to deal with them. By focusing on yourself for a few minutes a day, meditation greatly reduces stress and boosts the immune system.

Namatata offers seven days of free access and a special confinement meditation

The application, which is available on iOS and Android, promises to make the current period easier by offering seven days of free access to its 400 sessions to all new users through the confinement period. A special confinement meditation launched today on the application and will remain free for the duration of the crisis. All people in a situation of confinement can find help through it.

For people alone, a 10-minute meditation has been specially developed to deal with the feeling of loneliness.

For children, meditation audios are also available. These meditations in the form of stories imagined by psychologist Cécile Neuville, can serve to initiate them into this beneficial learning experience. For parents, this is also an opportunity to help their children find time to refocus and to keep them busy intelligently in these difficult days.

For everyone, each mindful meditation makes it easier to accept confinement. Meditation allows you to let go and deal with a situation that you cannot change. Breathing and concentration exercises where you focus on the present moment help you let go of difficult emotions and stray thoughts. A daily practice of ten minutes will, undoubtedly, improve everyone's physical and mental balance.

To find this special confinement meditation, please click here:

A word by founder Antoine Gerlier:

"In this current period, the concept of acceptance seems very important to me. It is by accepting that things are the way they are that we learn to live with them and to let go. When a big wave comes crashing down on us, it is better to deal with it by surfing on it. Meditation is a real "art of living" that I teach on a daily basis and that I wanted to share with the world by launching Namatata. Today, the confinement is ideal to refocus your thoughts and discover your virtues. "

Namatata in numbers:

1,000,000 users in the world

30,000 new users every month

400 meditations created by psychology professionals 

25 programs of 7 days spread out into 5 themes

About Namatata: Namatata is a meditation application available on iOS and Android for everyone. It aims to democratize the daily practice of mental gymnastics in everyone's life. Founded by Antoine Gerlier, who got the help of psychiatrist François Bourgognon, the application allows you to meditate 10 or 20 minutes a day. Based on scientific research, particularly in neuroscience, the application gathers one million users who can access more than 400 meditation sessions.

Single Dose Hydroxychloroquine Monthly May Reduce the Necessity for Mechanical Ventilation in COVID-19 Patients

By Eddie Fatakhov, M.D.

With an appropriate primary focus being on the treatment options for currently infected COVID-19 patients, the question still lingers as to if there are any additional potential preventative treatments, outside of social distancing and quarantine, that may be used by healthcare professionals on the frontlines and people considered in the high-risk category that have yet to contract the virus.  

 The public has been made aware of the anti-malaria drug, hydroxychloroquine, being used in hospitalized patients as a potential treatment.  While those trials are unfolding and a vaccine actively in the works, prevention is still a major concern for those who are healthy but in contact with confirmed cases and for the population that is high-risk but has remained virus-free for now.   

As this pandemic rapidly evolves throughout the world, researchers and physicians are aggressively looking into the reasons why certain COVID-19 infected patients are rapidly declining and how this could possibly be prevented.  Recent research has suggested that COVID-19 is starting as a viral infection in the upper respiratory system.  As it progresses, it is migrating to the lower respiratory system - resulting in mechanical ventilation of a vast number of patients.  Hospitals are flooded and being forced to allocate ventilators to the sickest of the sick.  The mechanisms of action by hydroxychloroquine could possibly hinder the virus from moving from the upper to lower respiratory tract - in turn making mechanical ventilation less likely to be a necessity. 

Hydroxychloroquine has shown to accumulate in highest concentrations in the liver, adrenal and lung tissue in rodent trials.  Determination of a drug’s potency needed to induce the desired response, also known as the EC₅₀ value, is key to the potential effectiveness of a drug.  Physiological-based pharmacokinetic models (PBPK) have been implemented to simulate the concentrations of hydroxychloroquine in the body.  The results suggest that a single dose of 800mg of hydroxychloroquine may provide a lung tissue concentration that is greater than twenty times the required EC₅₀ values necessary to inhibit COVID-19 in the lungs.  A single dose of 200mg of hydroxychloroquine has a half-life of 22 days, meaning that half of the administered dose remains in the system at day 22.  This evidence would lead to the potential of greatly reducing COVID-19 induced lung damage.  This lung damage leads to increased necessity of mechanical ventilation.   

If proven to be effective, this would not stop one from contracting the virus itself.  It would potentially stop the virus from progressing to such deadly states with possibly as little as one dose taken every three weeks.  Further research is needed to continue to validate these findings but provides hope for those who are battling this virus on the frontline that there may be a protective option available in coming days.   

References:  

Concordia Pharmaceuticals Inc. (2015). Plaquenil^® hydroxychloroquine sulfate tablets, USP. Retrieved from https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2017/009768s037s045s 047lbl.pdf 

Tansan, S. (n.d.). A possible role for single dose hydroxychloroquine for prevention of lethal coronavirus infection. Retrieved March 29, 2020, from https://tansan.com.tr/a-possible-role-for-single-dose-hydroxychloroquine-for-prevention-of-lethal-coronavirus-infection/

 Yao, X., Ye, F., Zhang, M., Cui, C., Huang, B., Niu, P., Liu, X., Zhao, L., Dong, E., Song, C., Zhan, S., Lu, R., Li, H., Tan, W., & Liu, D. (2020). In vitro antiviral activity and projection of optimized dosing design of hydroxychloroquine for the treatment of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Clinical infectious diseases: an official publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America, ciaa237. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1093/cid/ciaa237 

Yimin, W., Nygard, G. A., Ellertson, S. L., & Khalil, S. K. W. (1995). Stereoselective disposition of hydroxychloroquine and its metabolites in rats. Retrieved March 29, 2020, from https://doi.org/10.1002/chir.530070807

Eddie Fatakhov, M.D, is a Board-Certified Physician, Nutritionist and Best-Selling Author who has been a featured expert interview guest on national television programs including CNN, with commentaries featured regularly in U.S. News & World Report and other publications. 

SpiderTech Develops Product to Protect Healthcare Workers from their Protective Masks

TORONTO, March 31, 2020 /CNW/ - Face masks have become the first line of defense for health care professionals around the globe battling COVID-19. Yet through prolonged use, that same protective equipment may be putting them at further risk. In response, an unlikely company has come to the rescue. Its name is SpiderTech. Their medical team has developed a new kinesiology tape to prevent the skin abrasions that can become gateways to any number of health problems.

SpiderTech is the pioneer behind precut kinesiology tape, which is used by athletes worldwide to take pressure off overused muscles and reduce pain. This new version, a 100% cotton breathable tape, was developed specifically to protect the faces of medical professionals and first responders forced to wear masks for long periods. Users apply one to three strips of the pre-cut tape, called Gentle Mini iSTRIPs, over the bridge of their nose or in a triangle pattern around the nose and mouth to relieve the pressure of surgical masks' elastic bands. The gel-like acrylic adhesive on the strip maintains a seal on the skin without irritation and can be removed painlessly. https://youtu.be/PdjDqxuzG8c

"We saw images of nurses and doctors on news and social media bearing cuts, bruises and friction marks from their masks and knew we had to do something for these brave caregivers," said Dr. Nick Martichenko, SpiderTech. "Our kinesiology tape acts as a barrier between the user's face and their mask or eye wear. Besides discomfort, broken skin caused by masks can open the door to very serious health complications." 

In fact, according to wound-care experts, open wounds under a medical face mask can become a portal for coronavirus to penetrate the body and allow other hospital-acquired infections access to the circulatory system. 

Gentle Mini iSTRIPs are applied directly to the face under the worker's PPE. It can be left on for multiple days and the user's PPE can be worn or removed without affecting the protective base. 

SpiderTech has also devised wide-roll kinesiology tape that can be applied on top of face strips to create a do-it-yourself mask. The user can place any piece of filter material behind the tape for added protection. 

Founded in 2009, SpiderTech is a division of NUCAP Industries with a 25 year successful track record in development of safety-related products. Visit www.SpiderTech.com

SOURCE SpiderTech

EQ Care to power Hub International's Health and Wellness Platform

MONTREAL, March 31, 2020 /CNW Telbec/ - EQ Care, Canada's pioneer in telemedicine, is pleased to announce that its virtual health platform will be integrated into a care management and navigation service provided by Hub International (Hub), one of the world's largest insurance brokerages, to workforces across Canada. 'Hub Care' members will join the EQ Care Community and soon have 24/7 access to physicians, mental health specialists and other medical professionals in English or French.

With more than 475 offices across North America, Hub's extensive business network will help further the advancement of telemedicine and wellness programs to plan sponsors and their employees, especially in the midst of a pandemic. Patients can connect live to EQ Care Managers and medical professionals who have been trained to detect symptoms of COVID-19 (Coronavirus) and will follow each patient through their care and treatment journey.

"Hub International's commitment to workplace wellness will pay dividends for both its vast network of clients and the Canadian public healthcare system," said EQ Care CEO Daniel Martz. "Workplace virtual care deployed by experienced healthcare managers, providing access to a network of hundreds of doctors, specialists, mental health and paramedical professionals, can immediately relieve pressure on an overburdened public system, especially at this critical time."

Virtual Healthcare Is Here to Stay 

In choosing a virtual care provider for its client network, Hub prioritized a proactive, preventative benefit solution to further workplace wellness. Their "One Front Door In" policy is aimed to create a gateway to provide clients and their employees the fastest possible access to experienced medical professionals via a secure, web-based video-conferencing, text and voice-based platform.

"We are in the midst of a technology revolution that is disrupting and transforming healthcare around us every day. We see the EQ Care virtual healthcare platform as a significant value-add for our clients, and the service aligns with our innovation roadmap to improve the health and wellbeing of our plan members and their dependents," said Mary Lou MacDonald, HUB International's National Practice Lead, Canada, Health and Performance. "EQ Care's commitment to continuous improvement and service excellence, coupled with its forward-looking mindset in bringing market-changing innovations to the health and wellness space, are the elements that drove our decision to partner with EQ Care to power HUB International's health and wellness platform strategy."

EQ Care Is Transforming Virtual Health Care

As some of Canada's largest employers are beginning to offer EQ Care to their employees, virtual care is becoming an essential component to modern medicine. With over three decades of experience in homecare and as the first to introduce wide-scale telemedicine in Canada, EQ Care is well-placed to continue setting benchmarks in Canadian health care.

"With our storied history in Canadian healthcare, and as the first to offer virtual healthcare solutions to Canadians, our success has been built on the foundation of our ability to stay at the forefront of change, while offering a compassionate and individualized healthcare experience for each patient," added Daniel Martz. "We see great synergy between HUB International's health and wellness strategy and EQ Care's virtual healthcare platform, and are deeply committed to helping HUB International's clients and their employees get faster and better access to care."

About EQ Care

EQ Care offers patients 24/7 national and bilingual online access to a specialized medical and mental health team providing personalized, comprehensive treatment options from any mobile or internet connected device. On the cutting edge of patient care, our mission is to ensure that our patients receive the highest quality service through our leading proprietary virtual health technology platform.

As the market leader in Canadian virtual care with over 30 years of health care experience, an ISO 9001:2015 certification, and over 400,000 virtual medical consultations managed, we are continually innovating to bring cutting edge mobile tools and approaches to our Plan Sponsors and Members.

About Hub International

Headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, Hub International Limited is a leading full-service global insurance broker providing property and casualty, life and health, employee benefits, investment and risk management products and services. With more than 12,000 employees in offices located throughout North America, Hub's vast network of specialists provides peace of mind on what matters most by protecting clients through unrelenting advocacy and tailored insurance solutions. 

SOURCE EQ Care