One-hour coronavirus triage test developed by SQI Diagnostics to receive funding from University Health Network

Grant of $1 million used to finalize development and deployment of existing assay to triage coronavirus patients

TORONTO, March 24, 2020 /CNW/ - SQI Diagnostics Inc. (TSX-V: SQD; OTCQX: SQIDF), a life sciences and diagnostics company that develops and commercializes proprietary technologies and products for advanced microarray diagnostics ("SQI"), has been selected by University Health Network ("UHN") investigators to utilize a previously developed SQI assay to assist clinicians in the triaging of patients with COVID-19, the disease caused by the 2019 novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2), as well as other forms of respiratory distress. SQI will receive a portion of the almost $1 million grant awarded to UHN by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) to fund the validation and testing of this novel assay, known as Rapid Acute Lung Injury Diagnostic, or "RALI-Dx™."

RALI-Dx, comprised of several biomarkers indicative of acute lung injury, is being studied to determine its ability to accurately predict whether or not a patient experiencing acute respiratory distress caused by COVID-19 or other underlying cause, can be treated and released for self-monitored home care, admitted to a standard hospital unit, or is likely to develop severe life-threatening symptoms requiring immediate intensive care unit (ICU) admittance and advanced respiratory care measures. The test, performed in less than one hour, brings a new level of care that can be deployed in order to triage patients in the currently expanding global coronavirus pandemic. 

According to the American Hospital Association, there are only 46,000 total ICU beds in the United States and demand is said to potentially reach as many as 200,000. It is also estimated that almost one million Americans could require mechanical breathing intervention with the use of ventilator machines. However, according to a paper printed in the Society of Critical Care Medicine, the American healthcare system can only support this need for 135,000 people. The one-hour RALI-Dx test will allow physicians to properly allocate these resources. 

With COVID-19 now a global healthcare crisis, the availability of critical resources such as ICU beds and ventilator machines are quickly becoming more endangered. With a current gap in the ability to objectively identify who requires admission to intensive care vs. who can be safely monitored at-home, hospitals are already facing significant pressure in triaging patients in respiratory distress. RALI-Dx is ideally positioned to fill this need and serve as an indispensable tool to manage limited critical resources in a historic time of need. 

"Joining the global fight against COVID-19 presents a tremendous opportunity for SQI," said Eric Brouwer, PhD, interim CEO of SQI. "Not only is it an opportunity to allow our organization to commercialize an assay we have already developed, but it is also an opportunity to make a positive impact for people around the world."

About SQI Diagnostics

SQI Diagnostics is the life sciences and diagnostics company that develops and commercializes proprietary technologies and products for advanced microarray diagnostics. The Company's proprietary microarray tests and fully-automated systems are designed to simplify protein and antibody testing workflow, increase throughput, reduce costs and provide excellent data quality. For more information, please visit www.sqidiagnostics.com. 

Finbold.com Launches a Probability of Getting Coronavirus Calculator

Finbold.com has launched a probability of getting Coronavirus calculator to help individuals from different countries to determine the relative risk of getting the COVID-19 virus on a given day in their country, state or province.How it works

The calculator determines a chance of infection by working out the ratio between new Coronavirus cases in the selected area compared to its population.

Please note, the calculator only takes into consideration new daily cases in each area reported by credible sources to remove all bias from its calculations. Knowing new confirmed cases in each country allows us to work out the actual percentage of people that were infected that day.

“The best way to understand the logic behind the calculator is to compare it to a lottery; if we know that 10 new cases were confirmed on the last day in a country with 10 million people, we know that the chance of  “winning” that day was 1 in a million,” - says Idas Keb, a co-founder at Finbold.com and the creator of the aforementioned tool.

According to Idas, taking any other measurement outside new daily cases confirmed would make the calculator biased. And naturally, there are many other factors that can have an effect on the individual risk of infection, however, this highly depends on the behavior and precaution each individual takes to protect themselves against the virus.Methodology Used 

To determine the relative chance of contracting the virus, the calculator uses the following formula: [chance for the day expressed in %] = [area population] * [new daily cases in the area] / 100.

The data used for calculation is derived from the World Health Organization, CDC and Canada.ca for reported new COVID-19 cases worldwide. And Wikipedia for the updated United States population. To determine the population of other countries, the calculator derives the data from World Population Review.Weighted risk by country

The Coronavirus calculator also allows users to view ranked lists of countries, states and provinces by the chance of infection relative to its population. Risk chance in the lists is expressed in the percentage chance of contracting Coronavirus on a given day.

However, users of the calculator are advised to adhere to all precautions recommended by local authorities and the World Health Organisation to prevent further spread of the virus, regardless of the chance of infection reported by the calculator.

You can find and try the COVID-19 calculator here: https://finbold.com/chance-of-getting-corona-virus-calculator/

Frontline Healthcare Worker Tests Positive for COVID-19

SEIU Healthcare calling for action plan to keep Ontario healthy and secure

RICHMOND HILL, ON, March 23, 2020 /CNW/ - It was confirmed today that a frontline healthcare worker at Markhaven Home for Seniors, located in Markham, has tested positive for COVID-19 after the long-term care home first learned of a resident with the virus last week. Additional workers who may have been exposed to the virus are currently awaiting test results.

The Service Employees International Union (SEIU Healthcare), which represents frontline staff at Markhaven, has been calling on the provincial command table to implement the lessons we learned from SARS to better ensure the protection of workers and the public. SEIU Healthcare is now calling on the government and all health providers to step up with an action plan to keep Ontario healthy and secure, including:

1. Full Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for all staff who require it with unit-level infection control plans. 
2. Government to enforce mandatory protocols through directives, not unenforceable guidance, which only contribute to systemic inconsistencies that put workers and the public at risk. 
3. Paid administrative leave for all healthcare staff who require isolation and presumptive WSIB coverage for all healthcare workers in Ontario who get sick while fighting COVID-19.  
4. Table all human resource redeployment plans with workers and their unions to ensure fully staffed shifts for fully safe work environments.  
5. Ensure the retention of frontline workers by committing to full wage replacement for all homecare workers whose shifts are cancelled through no fault of their own. 

"Today's alarming news is a consequence of a system that is moving too slow to protect workers and the public," says Sharleen Stewart, President of SEIU Healthcare, the union that represents over 60,000 frontline healthcare workers in hospitals, nursing homes, and home and community care. "It's time decision makers put themselves in the shoes of the frontline healthcare workers who are putting themselves in danger to fight the war on COVID-19.  While they fight for us, health system administrators and the provincial government should be there for them. We need a new action plan to meet the moment because efforts to date are falling short and putting families at risk."

SEIU Healthcare represents more than 60,000 healthcare and community service workers across Ontario. The union's members work in hospitals, homecare, nursing and retirement homes, and community services throughout the province. SEIU Healthcare has a strong track record of improving wages, benefits and working conditions for healthcare workers, supporting the training and development needs of its members, and strengthening standards in the management and delivery of patient and client care. www.seiuhealthcare.ca

SOURCE SEIU Healthcare

Community Pharmacists Ask for Patients' Understanding on 30-Day Supplies of Medications

Ontario Pharmacists are Working Together with the Ministry of Health on COVID-19 Response to Ensure Continued Access to Medications for All Ontarians

TORONTO, March 22, 2020 /CNW/ - Pharmacy professionals across the province want to reassure Ontario patients that community pharmacies are here to support them during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

While pharmacists and pharmacy technicians continue to have confidence in our national supply of prescription medication, they are seeing an increased strain on the system due to requests for increased prescription quantities. The majority of provincial governments, Ontario included, have opted to take a precautionary approach to limit quantities of most medications to 30-day supplies to ensure that all patients continue to have their medications. There may be some very limited circumstances where a greater supply is warranted.  

"These are exceptional times. We know that patients are facing enormous challenges. Ontario pharmacists are here to ensure that our patients' continuity of care is not impacted. This requires protecting Ontario's drug supply," says Jen Baker, Chair of Ontario Pharmacists Association. "Limiting prescription medications is a necessary measure to avoid potential shortages." 

Although limiting quantities may pose adjustments for patients and for pharmacies, the public can be assured that Ontario pharmacists will work with them to ensure they receive the care and medication they need.

The Ontario Pharmacists Association is exceptionally proud of the hard work all front-line healthcare professionals are providing, including all pharmacy professionals who are committed to providing care during these challenging times. 

"Many pharmacies offer delivery services and will continue to bring their patients' medications directly to their homes, and not just for those under mandatory self-isolation," says Justin Bates, OPA's Chief Executive Officer. 

"COVID-19 has placed a significant strain on all front-line healthcare sectors, pharmacy included. Demands on pharmacy team members are high, and yet they still show up to work every day on their patients' behalf to ensure that they can receive the continuity of care they absolutely require. We ask that patients work with their pharmacists to ensure that they can continue to receive their medications in a timely and safe manner," says Bates. 

"Pharmacies are fully aware of the anxiety being felt by patients and encourage them to remain home while pharmacists take care of their medication needs. It's a full team effort across Ontario pharmacies. We are asking for patients' understanding at this time. We are all in this together and we'll get through this together," says Bates.

About the Ontario Pharmacists Association

The Ontario Pharmacists Association is committed to evolving the pharmacy profession and advocating for excellence in practice and patient care. With more than 10,000 members, OPA is Canada's largest advocacy organization, and professional development provider for pharmacy professionals across Ontario. By leveraging the unique expertise of pharmacy professionals, enabling them to practise to their fullest potential, and making them more accessible to patients, OPA is working to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the healthcare system. The pharmacy sector plays a strong role in Ontario with an economic impact of more than $6.3 billion across more than 4,600 community pharmacies, employing 60,000 Ontarians.

SOURCE Ontario Pharmacists Association

Government of Quebec providing $7 million towards Medicago's COVID-19 vaccine development

Quebec City biopharmaceutical company moving towards testing stages of COVID-19 vaccine candidate 

QUEBEC CITY, March 23, 2020 /CNW/ - Medicago, a biopharmaceutical company headquartered in Quebec City, welcomes financial support from the Government of Quebec for the development of a vaccine against COVID-19. On March 12, Medicago announced the successful production of coronavirus Virus-Like-Particle (VLP) in just 20 days after receiving the virus gene, thus having a viable vaccine candidate against COVID-19. 

This funding will allow Medicago to continue research in Quebec, and to initiate preclinical testing to assess the safety and efficacy of the vaccine candidate. The company is focusing its efforts to quickly submit a vaccine candidate to the regulatory authorities. 

"We are extremely grateful to the Government of Quebec for its ongoing commitment to Medicago and its financial support. This financial contribution from Investissement Québec will allow us to quickly start the first phase of testing of our COVID-19 vaccine candidate before initiating clinical trials in humans this summer," said Dr. Bruce D. Clark, President and CEO of Medicago. 

Medicago is a leader in plant-based technology having previously demonstrated its capability to be a first responder in a flu pandemic. In 2009, the company produced a research-grade vaccine candidate against H1N1 in just 19 days. In 2012, Medicago manufactured 10 million doses of a monovalent influenza vaccine within one month for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), part of the U.S. Department of Defense. In 2015, Medicago also demonstrated that it could rapidly produce an anti-Ebola monoclonal antibody cocktail for the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. 

Medicago's first product, a seasonal recombinant quadrivalent VLP vaccine for active immunization against influenza, is currently under review by Health Canada following the completion of a robust safety and efficacy clinical program involving over 25,000 patients. 

About Medicago 
Medicago is a biopharmaceutical company with more than 450 employees in Canada and the United States. Medicago's mission is to improve global health outcomes by leveraging innovative plant-based technologies for rapid responses to emerging global health challenges. Medicago is committed to advancing therapeutics against life-threatening diseases worldwide. 

For more information: www.medicago.com  

SOURCE Medicago

Medzone To Release Hand-Sanitizers With Proceeds Donated to World Health Organization

Medzone, a sports medicine and cosmetic brand, founded in 2001 was originally created to help active people to keep moving forward. In an effort to help fight the spread of the coronavirus, Medzone is currently reviewing and creating unique, high-quality hand hygiene products. With the increase in market need for sanitizers and hand hygiene products, Medzone has created a new line of products including hand sanitizing gel, hand sanitizing spray and foaming hand sanitizers which will be available at www.medzonecorp.com and major national retailers in the coming weeks. MedZone is offering an option to pre-order starting March 23^rd.  Medzone is currently working with major retailers for distribution as quickly as possible to help those in need. "We are in regular contact with national retailers and companies in our supply chain to make sure we can deliver high quality products in the earliest time possible." Said Joe Freeman CEO of MedZone. In addition to bringing great products to market that are effective and help customers, the company has committed to donating $0.10 for every hand sanitizer unit sold to the World Health Organization and will donate product to local healthcare professions. "As a company, we wish the best for our customers and all Americans during this unprecedented time. In this difficult period, it's imperative that all of us come together and help our community get through these uncharted waters." said Freeman. The hand sanitizers will range in pricing from $3.99 - $11.99 and are slated to launch late March, pre-order is available now. More information can be found at www. MedZoneCorp.com. 

About MedZone

The mission of MedZone® is to make EveryBody Feel Better. MedZone products work to prevent, treat and manage aches, pains, discomforts, wounds and skin-chafing issues for individuals in sports, industrial settings and recreational activities. The products were initially designed in 2001 based on requests from medical professionals, athletes and in 2002, U.S. Military Special Forces. Over the years the products have been adapted to work for athletes, active people, law enforcement, military and for certain healthcare needs.

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Rice U. experts available to discuss COVID-19's wide-ranging impact

HOUSTON – (March 23, 2020) – As the COVID-19 pandemic grows and impacts the lives of people across the globe, Rice University experts are available to discuss various topics related to the disease. 

- Joyce Beebe, fellow in public finance at Rice's Baker Institute for Public Policy, can discuss paid leave programs.

"COVID-19 highlights the importance of paid (sick) leave programs to workers," she said. "The issue is not whether we should have a paid leave program; it is how to design a program that provides nationwide coverage to all American workers instead of waiting until the next pandemic."

-Robert Bruce, dean of Rice's Glasscock School of Continuing Studies, is an expert in online and distance learning, community education and engagement and innovative models for personal and professional development programs.

"The field of continuing and professional studies is uniquely positioned to help the public during a crisis that requires social distancing," he said. "Our core mission is to empower people to continue to learn and advance, regardless of location or age or learning style."

- Utpal Dholakia, a professor of marketing at Rice's Jones Graduate School of Business, is available to discuss consumer behavior and panic-buying during the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Everyone is panic-buying, not just all over the country, but basically all over the world," Dholakia said. "That makes the sense of urgency even more. Are all these suppliers going to be able to keep up with the demand?"

- John Diamond, the Edward A. and Hermena Hancock Kelly Fellow in Tax Policy at the Baker Institute and an adjunct assistant professor in Rice's Department of Economics, can discuss the economic impact on Houston and Texas, particularly unemployment. 

- Elaine Howard Ecklund, the Herbert S. Autrey Chair in Social Sciences, professor in sociology and director of Rice's Religion and Public Life Program, studies the intersection of science and religion. She can discuss how these two entities can work together to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and recently authored an editorial about this topic for Time magazine. It is available online at https://time.com/5807372/coronavirus-religion-science/. 

- Christopher Fagundes, an associate professor in the department of psychological sciences, is available to discuss the link between mental and immune health.

"In my field, we have conducted a lot of work to look at what predicts who gets colds and different forms of respiratory illnesses, and who is more susceptible to getting sick," Fagundes said. "We’ve found that stress, loneliness and lack of sleep are three factors that can seriously compromise aspects of the immune system that make people more susceptible to viruses if exposed. Also, stress, loneliness and disrupted sleep promote other aspects of the immune system responsible for the production of proinflammatory cytokines to overrespond. Elevated proinflammatory cytokine production can generate sustained upper respiratory infection symptoms."

And while this research has centered on different cold and upper respiratory viruses, he said "there is no doubt" that these effects would be the same for COVID-19.

- Mark Finley is a fellow in energy and global oil at the Baker Institute.

"The U.S. and global oil market is simultaneously grappling with the biggest decline in demand ever seen (due to COVID-19) and a price war between two of the world’s largest producers, Russia and Saudi Arabia," he said. 

- Bill Fulton, director of Rice's Kinder Institute for Urban Research, an urban planner, an expert on local government and the former mayor of Ventura, California, can speak to both the short-term and long-term changes in city life and the way government works. 

What will the effect be on transportation and transit? Retail and office space? Will people walk and bike more? How will they interact in public spaces in the future? How will government function and hold public meetings during the crisis, and will this fundamentally alter the way government interacts with the public in the long run? How will local governments deal with the inevitable revenue loss — and, in the long run, with the fact that they will probably have less sales tax? 

- Vivian Ho, the James A. Baker III Institute Chair in Health Economics, director for the Center of Health and Biosciences at the Baker Institute and a professor of economics, can discuss insurance coverage as families experience lost income and jobs during the crisis.

"Policymakers should temporarily expand subsidies for middle class workers who buy insurance through the Affordable Care Act marketplace," Ho said. "Families experiencing lost income due to the pandemic shouldn’t have to worry about losing access to health care in the midst of a pandemic."

"Hospitals in states that did not expand Medicaid coverage to able-bodied adults under the Affordable Care Act are bearing tougher financial burdens, which may damage their ability to respond to the current health crisis," she said. 

- Mark Jones, a professor of political science and fellow at the Baker Institute, is available to discuss how the spread of COVID-19 is impacting elections, including runoffs in Texas.

"COVID-19 has already resulted in the postponement of local elections originally scheduled for May 2, with the elections now to be held in November with current officeholders' tenure extended until their successors are confirmed in November," Jones said. "It is increasingly likely that COVID-19 will affect the Democratic and Republican primary runoff elections scheduled for May 26, with a growing possibility that the elections will be conducted entirely via mail ballots or at the minimum will involve the adoption of no-excuse absentee voting whereby any Texan, not just those 65 or older, hospitalized or out of the county, will be able to obtain an absentee ballot and vote by mail.

"The emergency adoption of no-excuse absentee voting would change the composition of the May primary runoff electorate by expanding turnout among many voters who otherwise would have been unlikely to participate, as well as increase pressure on the Texas Legislature to reform the state’s electoral legislation to allow for no-excuse absentee voting when it reconvenes in January of 2021 for the next regular session."

- Danielle King, an assistant professor of psychological sciences and principal investigator of Rice's WorKing Resilience Lab, is an expert on the topic of resilience to adversity. Her research focuses on understanding the role individuals, groups and organizations play in fostering adaptive sustainability following adversity. She can discuss how individuals can remain resilient and motivated in difficult circumstances.

"Though we are still in the throes of the COVID-19 pandemic, we can begin to enact adaptive practices that foster resilience such as remaining flexible to changing circumstances, practicing acceptance of the present realities, seeking social support in creative ways while practicing social distancing, and finding and engaging with experiences and thoughts that elicit positive emotions during trying times," King said.
 

- Tom Kolditz, founding director of Rice's Doerr Institute for New Leaders, is a social psychologist and former brigadier general who has done extensive research on how best to lead people under perceived serious threat. His work is widely taught at military service and police academies globally, and he did extensive work with the banking industry during the 2008 financial crisis. His expertise is in articulating what people need from leaders in volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous times and what leaders must do to gain and maintain people's trust. His book, "In Extremis Leadership: Leading As If Your Life Depended On It," teaches people to lead in crisis, when people are anxious or afraid.
 

"Leadership when people are under threat hinges far less on managerial principles, and far more on trust," Kolditz said. "Whether in a company or their own family, people who lead in the same way now as they did two months ago will experience a significant decline in their influence." 

- Jim Krane, the Wallace S. Wilson Fellow for Energy Studies at the Baker Institute, is an expert on energy geopolitics and Middle East economies and societies. He can comment on the effect on OPEC and its production decisions, relations between Russia and Saudi Arabia, and how low oil prices will affect policy inside producer countries.

- Ken Medlock, the James A. Baker III and Susan G. Baker Fellow in Energy and Resource Economics at the Baker Institute, senior director of institute's Center for Energy Studies and an adjunct professor and lecturer in Rice's Department of Economics, can discuss COVID-19's impact on oil prices and the oil industry. 

- Kirsten Ostherr, the Gladys Louise Fox Professor of English and director of Rice's Medical Futures Lab, can discuss the representation of outbreaks, contagion and disease in public discourse and the media. She is also an expert on digital health privacy. She is the founding director of the Medical Humanities program at Rice, and her first book, “Cinematic Prophylaxis: Globalization and Contagion in the Discourse of World Health,” is one of several titles made available for open-access download through June 1 by its publisher, Duke University Press. 

- Peter Rodriguez, dean of the Jones Graduate School of Business and a professor of strategic management, can discuss the economic impact of COVID-19 in Houston, the state of Texas and around the world.

- Eduardo Salas, professor and chair of the Department of Psychological Sciences, is available to discuss collaboration, teamwork, team training and team dynamics as it relates to COVID-19.

"We often hear that 'we are in this together' and, indeed, we are," Salas said. "Effective collaboration and teamwork can save lives. And there is a science of teamwork that can provide guidance on how to manage and promote effective collaboration."

- Kyle Shelton, deputy director of the Kinder Institute, can discuss how the economic impact of COVID-19 closures and job losses can amplify housing issues, and why governments at every level are opting for actions such as halting evictions and foreclosures and removing late fees. He can also speak to some of the challenges confronted by public transportation, why active transportation like biking and walking are so important now, and how long-term investments in these systems make cities and regions more adaptive and resilient.

- Bob Stein, the Lena Gohlman Fox Professor of Political Science and a fellow in urban politics at the Baker Institute, is an expert in emergency preparedness, especially related to hurricanes and flooding. He can also discuss why and when people comply with government directives regarding how to prepare for and respond to natural disasters, and the political consequences of natural disasters. 

"Since God is not on the ballot, who do voters hold accountable before and in the aftermath of natural disasters?" he said. 

- Laurence Stuart, an adjunct professor in management at Rice Business, can discuss unemployment in Texas, how people qualify for it and what that means for employers and employees.

For more information or to schedule an interview, contact Amy McCaig, senior media relations specialist at Rice, at 217-417-2901 or amym@rice.edu.

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This news release can be found online at news.rice.edu.

Follow Rice News and Media Relations on Twitter @RiceUNews.

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Photo credit: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

Located on a 300-acre forested campus in Houston, Rice University is consistently ranked among the nation’s top 20 universities by U.S. News & World Report. Rice has highly respected schools of Architecture, Business, Continuing Studies, Engineering, Humanities, Music, Natural Sciences and Social Sciences and is home to the Baker Institute for Public Policy. With 3,962 undergraduates and 3,027 graduate students, Rice’s undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio is just under 6-to-1. Its residential college system builds close-knit communities and lifelong friendships, just one reason why Rice is ranked No. 1 for lots of race/class interaction and No. 4 for quality of life by the Princeton Review. Rice is also rated as a best value among private universities by Kiplinger’s Personal Finance.

World Animal Protection Calls for International Ban on Wildlife Trade Due to COVID-19

TORONTO, March 23, 2020 /CNW/ - They are one of the most misunderstood creatures on the planet and considered Africa's most legally traded live animal-the Ball python. A poster animal for the exotic pet trade, their name comes from the animal's tendency to curl up into a tight ball when stressed or frightened. Reptiles are often perceived to have no feelings, and false assumptions like this and the myth that reptiles require little care are some reasons they can end up as exotic pets. 

Now, a ground-breaking report by World Animal Protection is sounding the alarm over the international trade of Ball pythons. The charity is also calling for a stop on all global wildlife trade. Wild animals, poached from their natural habitat or bred in captivity, are typically placed in cramped cages and dirty conditions, which causes them suffering and creates a lethal hotbed of disease. This can harm humans when coming into contact with them as we have seen with COVID- 19. The virus is believed to have been transmitted from animals to humans at a live animal market in Wuhan, China. 

Snakes sold there were originally suspected as a potential source. However, even if snakes are not the original source, the charity's visits to snake farms in West Africa revealed that these facilities do more than just feed the demand for Ball pythons as pets. They also act as wider trade hubs, exporting other wildlife, including bats, civets and primates, which are higher up the human health list of concern when considering their role in epidemics such as SARS in 2002 and Ebola in 2013.

China banned the consumption of land-based wild animals due to COVID-19 and late last week Vietnam followed suit. While this is a great first step, other wild animals such as exotic pets and animals used for traditional medicine are not included. 

Limiting our contact with these animals is necessary to decrease the chances of viruses spreading to humans and a permanent ban on all wildlife trade would help to prevent major health epidemics and pandemics from happening again, as well as reduce animal suffering. 

Edith Kabesiime, Wildlife Campaign Manager at World Animal Protection Africa, says, "The international trade of African Ball pythons is an important source of economic income for some local communities, but when the snakes are all gone, the money will be too. With the recent coronavirus outbreak, we are also starting to realize that the economic and human costs of an outbreak due to the demand for an exotic animal is a price not worth paying."

Meanwhile, Ball pythons and other wild animals continue to suffer in the exotic pet trade.

Cassandra Koenen, Global Head of Wildlife not Pets at World Animal Protection says, "The trade of Ball pythons as exotic pets is a massive global market that has impacted millions of animals over the last several decades. These misunderstood animals suffer cruelty from capture, through to a life of captivity. We must end the global trade of wildlife for our health and their welfare."

Canada is considered one of the main importers of Ball pythons. In just over 45 years, more than 3 million Ball pythons have been exported from West Africa, to Europe, Asia, the United States and Canada. 

In Canada, an estimated 28,000 Ball pythons are kept in households as pets. While most owners mean well, the lack of understanding for the animal's welfare just leads to suffering as Ball pythons are mainly kept in spaces much smaller than their natural habitats. 

Once these animals are sold, anyone who comes into contact with them is at risk of contracting illnesses like Salmonella. A recent outbreak in Canada had just over 90 cases where people had come into contact with pet snakes before they became ill and that may have been the cause of the outbreak.

We are all in this together and our relationship with animals needs to change. World Animal Protection is asking people to join the movement to help stop the global wildlife trade. It will benefit humans and animals alike.

Notes to editors

• See the full documentary on Ball pythons by World Animal Protection here

About World Animal Protection

From our offices around the world, including Australia, Brazil, Kenya, and Canada, we move the world to protect animals. Last year, we gave more than 3 billion animals better lives through our campaigns that focus on animals in the wild, animals in disasters, animals in communities and animals in farming. For more information visit www.worldanimalprotection.ca

SOURCE World Animal Protection

RNAO & OMA Stress Personal Protective Equipment for Frontline Workers Is an Urgent Priority

TORONTO, March 22, 2020 /CNW/ - The Ontario Medical Association (OMA) and the Registered Nurses' Association of Ontario (RNAO) need to ensure frontline health-care workers have the personal protective equipment (PPE) and supplies they need to care for their patients.

"We must act now for all the eventualities, given the global shortage of supplies. RNAO welcomes Premier Ford's recent appeal to manufacturers to produce the essential gear to protect our health-care workers so they can be there to protect the public. We fear that a mask shortage is imminent.  This is a serious and dire situation for our frontline workers. We must take every action possible to avoid, or at best, delay such an eventuality," says Dr. Doris Grinspun, RNAO's CEO. 

"We call on governments and organizations at all levels to continue their efforts to bring urgency to the global shortage of PPE and essential medical equipment. We must be prepared for a shortage of masks," said Dr. Sohail Gandhi, OMA President. "Health-care workers are at high risk of exposure to the virus. Protection for themselves and the patients they care for is vitally important in the battle against this virus."

As well, the OMA and RNAO understand that large quantities of masks, currently available to the system have expired. As supplies dwindle and we await more supplies the use of the stockpile of expired masks should be strongly considered. These expired masks could be released now under existing ethical and evidenced-based guidelines to ensure appropriate distribution, i.e. ensuring expired ones go to lower risk areas. In unprecedented situations we need to take all steps to provide the best protection available for health-care professionals and their patients.

RNAO and the OMA urge anyone with a supply of masks not in use for the current emergency to immediately repurpose them for frontline health-care workers. This includes:

• Health care and education related institutions that have PPE stocks for their simulation labs. 
• Other health professionals such as dentists. 

In addition, commercial sale of these products should be prohibited, and existing private stocks (e.g., drugstore chains) immediately re-possessed for use by frontline health-care workers.

The OMA and RNAO are working closely with the Ontario Ministry of Health to ensure that we get adequate supplies of personal protective equipment for nurses, doctors, and other frontline health-care workers right away. We are ready to work with all levels of government and the CMOH for this purpose. 

We are confident the provincial and federal governments have heard our concerns and are working together to address this urgent supply issue. 

About the OMA
The Ontario Medical Association represents Ontario's 43,000 plus physicians, medical students and retired physicians, advocating for and supporting doctors while strengthening the leadership role of doctors in caring for patients. Our vision is to be the trusted voice in transforming Ontario's health-care system.  

About the RNAO
The Registered Nurses' Association of Ontario (RNAO) is the professional association representing registered nurses, nurse practitioners, and nursing students in Ontario. Since 1925, RNAO has advocated for healthy public policy, promoted excellence in nursing practice, increased nurses' contribution to shaping the health system, and influenced decisions that affect nurses and the public they serve. For more information about RNAO, visit our website at RNAO.ca or follow us on Facebook and Twitter. 

SOURCE Ontario Medical Association