Seeking.com Member Sign Ups Up 74 Percent Over Same Time Last Year Doctors and dating coaches agree that person-to-person communication is essential to mental health during social distancing, explaining an increase on average of 10,000 additional new users per day on the world’s largest Sugar Dating Site, SeekingArrangement.
March 24, 2020, Las Vegas -- As mandatory shutdowns of all non-essential businesses spread across the globe, and social distancing becomes the norm, tens of millions of singles are forced to find alternative ways to connect and interact with each other.
Without the ability to meet new people at bars, gyms or other public places, SeekingArrangement provides a platform that allows singles to adapt quickly and stay connected.
The focus of the dating site has always been to establish meaningful online connections in-order to get comfortable enough to take it to the next level, meeting in-person. Although that’s become increasingly difficult in recent weeks, daters are signing up in droves, finding like-minded adults to escape isolation. While physical distancing is important, the company feels that there has never been a time when we needed to be even more socially and emotionally connected to other human beings.
“Couples (and singles) should increase communication during this physical separation,” says CEO and Founder of Whose Apple Dynamic Coaching and Consulting Services Dr. Linda Williams. “Frankly, many relationships will be tested -- which is not a bad thing at all. This time will either strengthen or show weaknesses in the relationship. Those relationships founded on the physical, rather than a deeper foundation, may prove challenging, But, this is an opportunity to increase emotional intimacy outside of the physical.”
“The importance of making a connection and staying connected during these times is paramount for people susceptible to depression and anxiety,” according to a Pew Research Center study revealing “isolation exacerbates an individual’s level of dissatisfaction with aspects of their personal life, to the extent that they are depression-prone, where isolating them could lead to negative mindsets that get worse the longer they remain isolated.”
With little insight on when social distancing will end, SeekingArrangement will continue to help support mental health by helping singles meet new people safely, through online engagement.
In a new interview with CMRubinWorld, Steve Mesler, Co-Founder and CEO of Classroom Champions, says all American schools will be able to learn anytime.
NEW YORK (PRWEB) MARCH 24, 2020
Classroom Champions, an organization that supports social and emotional learning (SEL), has launched a new platform and curriculum with Olympic and Paralympic athlete mentors. In a new interview with C.M. Rubin, Founder of CMRubinWorld, Mesler explains that the bottom line for the initiative was to create a safe place that takes the wisdom of athletes who are “walking the talk of perseverance, grit, and leadership,” and provide it to all teachers and schools in the United States. The platform will allow Classroom Champions to put Olympic and Paralympic athlete mentors in front of kids at a time in their lives when they’re most impressionable.
The Classroom Champions platform includes a brand new curriculum with 8 thematic units that focus on real-life evidence-based SEL learning topics for educators to leverage. Units are anchored in athletes’ video lessons supported by lesson plans and other family engagement materials. “There’s no other place where you can learn social and emotional lessons taught by the world’s best,” says Mesler.
Steve Mesler is the Co-Founder and CEO of Classroom Champions, a non-profit dedicated to connecting students with world-class athlete mentors. The organization supports social and emotional learning (SEL) and academic achievement, and provides curriculum and mentorship programs to districts, schools, and teachers to encourage children to achieve successful futures. Working with 150+ Olympic, Paralympic, university student-athletes, and professional athletes who volunteer as mentors, Classroom Champions has provided scholarships to Title I, rural, and indigenous communities across the continent. Learn more at: http://www.classroomchampions.org.
CMRubinWorld’s award-winning series, The Global Search for Education, brings together distinguished thought leaders in education and innovation from around the world to explore the key learning issues faced by most nations. The series has become a highly visible platform for global discourse on 21st century learning, offering a diverse range of innovative ideas which are presented by the series founder, C. M. Rubin, together with the world’s leading thinkers.
Government of Canada providing financial support towards Medicago's COVID-19 vaccine development
Quebec City biopharmaceutical company moving towards testing stages of COVID-19 vaccine candidate
QUEBEC CITY, March 24, 2020 /CNW/ - Medicago, a biopharmaceutical company headquartered in Quebec City, welcomes the support from the Government of Canada 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 Government support will allow Medicago to rapidly move from preclinical testing to clinical trials, as well as scaling up production for pandemic response.
"We are grateful to the Government of Canada without whom the advancement of this project through the final phase of development would not be possible. The cost of such development is a major obstacle for growing companies like ours which must spend hundred of millions of dollars to bring a product to market," said Dr. Bruce D. Clark, President and CEO of Medicago. "COVID-19 was not on any company's radar, and that's why financial support from governments is so important."
This past weekend, the Government of Quebec also announced that it would contribute $7 million to help Medicago with the progress of the vaccine.
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.
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.
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:
Full Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for all staff who require it with unit-level infection control plans.
Government to enforce mandatory protocols through directives, not unenforceable guidance, which only contribute to systemic inconsistencies that put workers and the public at risk.
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.
Table all human resource redeployment plans with workers and their unions to ensure fully staffed shifts for fully safe work environments.
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.
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 23rd. 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.
New App Allows Medical Providers to Prevent Spread of Coronavirus in Waiting Rooms
DocClocker, an app created by physicians for physicians, enables medical facilities to provide patients with real-time wait time reporting to decrease sick patient exposure.Tampa, Fla. – DocClocker®, a pioneering app that enables medical facilities for the first time to provide patients with real-time wait time reporting, is preventing the spread of COVID-19 (coronavirus) nationwide by enabling patients to avoid long waits in medical waiting rooms – limiting exposure risks. Many healthcare clinics' and hospitals' waiting rooms have been crowded in recent weeks, thanks to the rapid global outbreak of coronavirus. With the DocClocker app, which was created and funded entirely by practicing medical physicians, medical providers can support their patients by providing real-time wait times; preventing the spread of the highly contagious virus by limiting the exposure of sick patients in waiting rooms. “It is important that people are not sitting in sick waiting rooms during the coronavirus outbreak when there are delays in the office. DocClocker providers value their patients' time and are engaged in technology efficiencies that mitigate long wait times," said Dr. Eric Carter, Co-CEO and Co-Founder of DocClocker. DocClocker is on a mission to create transparency in the waiting room and enhance communication between medical providers and their patients. The DocClocker app easily allows for medical providers to deliver patients with waiting room wait times to increase patient satisfaction and positive reviews – allowing patients to stop for coffee on their way to an appointment or finish a work project, in case the office is running behind. In addition, providers who use DocClocker receive an increase in new patient bookings, as they can be located and selected on the app by prospective, in-network patients. The app can also reduce front desk stress by allowing patients to manage appointments through the app and receive appointment reminders. “As governments and communities around the globe are doing everything in their power to prevent the spread of coronavirus, it is our obligation as medical providers to do the same for the safety of our patients. By providing real-time wait times to your patients with DocClocker, you are demonstrating your commitment and true care for their wellbeing,” said Dr. Kevin Makati, Co-CEO and Co-Founder of DocClocker. Request a free demo: admin@docclocker.comAbout Doc Clocker:Developed by Fast Pathway Inc, DocClocker brings transparency to the doctor’s waiting room using modern technology to streamline communication between doctors, patients, and their families. For more information about DocClocker, please visit the app’s website at: https://docclocker.com/Contact: Molly JacobsonTel: 1-850-980-2793Email: molly@jacobsonstrategy.comWebsite: http://www.docclocker.comLocation Information:Fast Pathway, Inc2202 North Westshore Blvd., Suite 200Tampa, Florida 33607About Fast Pathway, Inc:Fast Pathway Inc is the developer and operator of the DocClocker® platform and maintains the cloud-based technology for subscribers and users.
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