CORRECTING and REPLACING - On World Oceans Day, Oceana Canada calls on Feds to Put Wild Fish First in Developing a Blue Economy Strategy

Only ¼ of our Fisheries are Healthy; 97% of Canadians Want the Government to Rebuild Them

TORONTO, June 07, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- In a release issued under the same headline earlier today by Oceana Canada, please note the "petition" link just above the contact section has been updated. The corrected release follows:

On the eve of World Oceans Day, new polling¹ released today from Oceana Canada finds that an overwhelming majority of Canadians care deeply about healthy oceans and protecting wild fish populations: 97 per cent say it is important that the Canadian government work to rebuild fish populations to healthy levels, and 95 per cent of all Canadians — 99 per cent of Atlantic Canadians — say it is an important part of our post-pandemic economic recovery.

Canada has not kept pace with progressive fishing nations in correcting the historic mistake of overfishing by allowing fish populations to rebuild, thus creating healthier ecosystems, more jobs, food and income, and opportunities to practice cultural traditions. However, right now, there is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to fix this. Fisheries and Oceans Canada is asking for input before June 15, 2021, to help shape its Blue Economy Strategy that aims to make the oceans healthy and prosperous as part of Canada’s plan to ‘build back better’ from the economic and social havoc wreaked by the global COVID-19 pandemic.

In the face of the global pandemic and environmental threats from climate change, plastic pollution, overfishing and habitat destruction, the need to protect and restore our oceans has never been more urgent. However, most of the historically bountiful wild fish populations we have relied on for food, jobs, income, culture and recreation have been collapsed for decades or are declining due to overfishing and mismanagement. Only a quarter of Canada’s fisheries are healthy.

“The original foundation of Canada’s ‘blue economy’ has always been our most plentiful and naturally renewing resource: wild fish – which today support the largest job, income and revenue-generating sector within Canada’s ocean-based economy,” said Josh Laughren, Executive Director, Oceana Canada. “Rebuilding fish to healthy, abundant levels must be central to any blue economy strategy, for our oceans and for all the people that rely on them.”

“For Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Fisheries Minister Bernadette Jordan, this is a once-in-a-generation opportunity. Canada can be a leader with a regenerative blue economy strategy that is the envy of the world, but only if it prioritizes our oceans’ most renewable resource. Without wild fish, there is no blue economy,” said Laughren. “We urge the many Canadians who care so passionately about this issue to join us and call on the government to deliver on its promise to rebuild Canada’s once world-class fisheries, which we have systematically depleted over the past century, for the sake of all those who rely on it today and as a moral obligation to future generations,” said Laughren.

“The good news is that the government already knows what to do,” added Laughren, “It needs to fulfill its mandate commitments to ensure healthy fisheries, using an ecosystem-based approach that prioritizes the long-term health of the ocean. Specifically, this includes implementing strong Fisheries Act regulations that require quality rebuilding plans with timelines and targets for rebuilding.”

Oceana Canada is asking Canadians to call on the government this World Oceans Day to step up to protect our oceans and our economy by signing its petition before the government’s Blue Economy Strategy submission deadline of June 15, 2021.

Contacts: Tammy Thorne, Oceana Canada, tthorne@oceana.ca, 437-247-0954 and Kathleen Munro, Pilot PRM, kathleen.munro@pilotpmr.com, 902-789-3165

Oceana Canada was established as an independent charity in 2015 and is part of the largest international advocacy group dedicated solely to ocean conservation. Oceana Canada has successfully campaigned to end the shark fin trade, make rebuilding depleted fish populations the law, improve the way fisheries are managed and protect marine habitat. We work with civil society, academics, fishers, Indigenous Peoples and the federal government to return Canada’s formerly vibrant oceans to health and abundance. By restoring Canada’s oceans, we can strengthen our communities, reap greater economic and nutritional benefits and protect our future.

Alzheimer Society calls for greater protection for people with dementia living at home

Vaccine supply now allows for higher-risk populations, including people living with dementia, to be fully vaccinated at or close to the manufacturer's recommended schedule.

TORONTO, June 4, 2021 /CNW/ - Newly-updated data from Statistics Canada shows that Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia continue to be the most common comorbidity associated with deaths due to Covid-19. Last year 41% of women and 36% of all Canadians who died with Covid-19 had a diagnosis of dementia.

The connection is clear. As vaccine supply continues to increase, Ontario must offer the greatest level of protection possible to populations at higher risk. This means shortening the wait time between vaccine doses for people with dementia who live at home, and those who care for them.

"Whether in long-term care or in the community, people living with dementia have experienced tremendous suffering over the course of this pandemic," says Cathy Barrick, Alzheimer Society of Ontario CEO.  "We need to listen to the facts.  People with dementia, regardless of where they live, need to be protected, and speeding up the administration of second shots is one of the best ways to do that".

People living with dementia are making their voices heard. The Alzheimer Society of Ontario has launched an online petition calling on provincial officials to shorten the vaccine interval for people with dementia who live at home and their care partners; the petition can be accessed here: https://www.care2.com/listen-to-the-facts.

Quotes

"We absolutely must protect our society's most vulnerable. This means heeding the data that clearly shows people living with dementia are at the highest risk of COVID-19. We fully support this call for expedited and direct access to second vaccine doses for these individuals and those who care for them."

- Lisa Levin
CEO, AdvantAge Ontario

"OCSA believes in protecting the most vulnerable Ontarians from the devasting effects of COVID-19.  Ontarians that live with dementia are some of the most vulnerable people receiving care for our not-for-profit home and community care members. These high-risk clients should be prioritized regardless of when they received their first vaccination dose. Given the data, OCSA supports shortening the vaccine interval for Ontarians living with dementia."

- Deborah Simon
CEO, Ontario Community Support Association

"A stable supply of vaccines means we can offer the greatest level of protection to those that need it most, including people living with dementia.  We call on the provincial government to not only speed up vaccination of people with dementia who live at home, but to proactively reach out to vulnerable seniors to make sure no one is left behind."

- Cathy Barrick
CEO, Alzheimer Society of Ontario

About the Alzheimer Society 

The Alzheimer Society is a Federation of 29 community support providers, operating in every corner of Ontario. We supported 165,000 clients last year, including both care partners and people living with dementia. We provide education and training to physicians and other healthcare professionals, as well as the general public. With hundreds of staff and thousands of volunteers, we seek to alleviate the personal and social consequences of Alzheimer's disease and other dementias, and promote research into a cure and disease-altering treatment. 

SOURCE Alzheimer Society of Ontario

Alzheimer Society calls for greater protection for people with dementia living at home

Vaccine supply now allows for higher-risk populations, including people living with dementia, to be fully vaccinated at or close to the manufacturer's recommended schedule.

TORONTO, June 4, 2021 /CNW/ - Newly-updated data from Statistics Canada shows that Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia continue to be the most common comorbidity associated with deaths due to Covid-19. Last year 41% of women and 36% of all Canadians who died with Covid-19 had a diagnosis of dementia.

The connection is clear. As vaccine supply continues to increase, Ontario must offer the greatest level of protection possible to populations at higher risk. This means shortening the wait time between vaccine doses for people with dementia who live at home, and those who care for them.

"Whether in long-term care or in the community, people living with dementia have experienced tremendous suffering over the course of this pandemic," says Cathy Barrick, Alzheimer Society of Ontario CEO.  "We need to listen to the facts.  People with dementia, regardless of where they live, need to be protected, and speeding up the administration of second shots is one of the best ways to do that".

People living with dementia are making their voices heard. The Alzheimer Society of Ontario has launched an online petition calling on provincial officials to shorten the vaccine interval for people with dementia who live at home and their care partners; the petition can be accessed here: https://www.care2.com/listen-to-the-facts.

Quotes

"We absolutely must protect our society's most vulnerable. This means heeding the data that clearly shows people living with dementia are at the highest risk of COVID-19. We fully support this call for expedited and direct access to second vaccine doses for these individuals and those who care for them."

- Lisa Levin
CEO, AdvantAge Ontario

"OCSA believes in protecting the most vulnerable Ontarians from the devasting effects of COVID-19.  Ontarians that live with dementia are some of the most vulnerable people receiving care for our not-for-profit home and community care members. These high-risk clients should be prioritized regardless of when they received their first vaccination dose. Given the data, OCSA supports shortening the vaccine interval for Ontarians living with dementia."

- Deborah Simon
CEO, Ontario Community Support Association

"A stable supply of vaccines means we can offer the greatest level of protection to those that need it most, including people living with dementia.  We call on the provincial government to not only speed up vaccination of people with dementia who live at home, but to proactively reach out to vulnerable seniors to make sure no one is left behind."

- Cathy Barrick
CEO, Alzheimer Society of Ontario

About the Alzheimer Society 

The Alzheimer Society is a Federation of 29 community support providers, operating in every corner of Ontario. We supported 165,000 clients last year, including both care partners and people living with dementia. We provide education and training to physicians and other healthcare professionals, as well as the general public. With hundreds of staff and thousands of volunteers, we seek to alleviate the personal and social consequences of Alzheimer's disease and other dementias, and promote research into a cure and disease-altering treatment. 

SOURCE Alzheimer Society of Ontario

Skylight Health Group’s Common Shares to Begin Trading on Nasdaq on Monday, June 7, 2021 Under Symbol SLHG 

TORONTO, June 04, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Skylight Health Group Inc. (TSXV:SHG; OTCQX: SHGFF) (“Skylight Health” or the “Company”), a multi-state primary care management group in the United States, is pleased to announce that the Company's common shares will commence trading on June 7, 2021 on the Nasdaq Capital Market (“Nasdaq”) under the ticker symbol "SLHG". The Company's Nasdaq listing is expected to increase access to investment in Skylight Health from retail and institutional investors globally. Furthermore, as a company with growing U.S healthcare operations the Company believes that it is appropriate for it to list on a U.S. exchange and have access to a much larger capital market and expects to improve liquidity for its common shares and, in turn, optimize its cost of capital.

In conjunction with the new Nasdaq symbol, the Company announces that effective Monday, June 7, 2021, its common shares on the TSX Venture Exchange will now trade under the new symbol “SLHG.” Upon commencement of listing of the Company’s common shares on Nasdaq, our common shares will no longer be quoted on the OTC Markets.

ABOUT SKYLIGHT HEALTH GROUP INC.

Skylight Health Group (TSXV:SHG; OTCQX:SHGFF) is a healthcare services and technology company, working to positively impact patient health outcomes. The Company operates a US multi-state primary care health network comprised of physical practices providing a range of services from primary care, sub-specialty, allied health, and laboratory/diagnostic testing. The Company is focused on helping small and independent practices shift from a traditional fee-for-service (FFS) model to value-based care (VBC) through tools including proprietary technology, data analytics and infrastructure. In a FFS model, payors (commercial and government insurers) reimburse on an encounter-based approach. This puts a focus on volume of patients per day. In a VBC model, payors reimburse typically on a capitation (fixed fee per member per month) basis. This places an emphasis on quality over volume. VBC will lead to improved patient outcomes, reduced cost of delivery and drive stronger financial performance from existing practices.

For more information, please visit www.skylighthealthgroup.com or contact:

Investor Relations - Canada: 
Jackie Kelly
investors@skylighthealthgroup.com 
416-301-2949

Investor Relations – USA:
John Evans
john.evans@skylighthealthgroup.com 
415-309-0230

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward Looking Information

Statements in this news release that are forward-looking statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties concerning the specific factors disclosed here and elsewhere in Skylight Health's filings with Canadian and United States securities regulators. When used in this news release, words such as "will, could, plan, estimate, expect, intend, may, potential, believe, should," and similar expressions, are forward-looking statements.

Forward-looking statements may include, without limitation, statements regarding the listing of our common shares on Nasdaq.

Although Skylight Health has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements, there can be other factors that cause results, performance or achievements not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended, including, but not limited to: the ability of Skylight Health to execute on its business strategy, continued revenue growth in accordance with management's expectations, operating expenses continuing in accordance with management expectations, dependence on obtaining regulatory approvals; Skylight Health being able to find, complete and effectively integrate target acquisitions; change in laws relating to health care regulation; reliance on management; requirements for additional financing; competition; hindering market growth or other factors that may not currently be known by the Company.

There can be no assurance that such information will prove to be accurate or that management's expectations or estimates of future developments, circumstances or results will materialize. As a result of these risks and uncertainties, the results or events predicted in these forward-looking statements may differ materially from actual results or events.

Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements in this news release are made as of the date of this release. Skylight Health disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise such information, except as required by applicable law, and Skylight Health does not assume any liability for disclosure relating to any other company mentioned herein.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

This Summer Take Your Running Off The Pavement and Into The Pool With Water Running

Do you have an injury? Pain? Don’t like to overheat? This is the workout for you!

www.fluidrunning.com 

We all know what a great workout running is. It strengthens your legs and your cardiovascular system, and you burn lots of calories!  That’s the upside.  The downside is that when striking the ground, the force is 3x that of your body weight.  That means a 150-pound person is hitting the ground as if they weighed 450 pounds!  That’s a lot of pressure on your joints.  No wonder 70% of runners end up with injuries!  And it’s probably why a lot of people don’t do it. Now that summer is here, many people don’t want to run in the heat.  What can avid runners or wannabe runners do? Enter water running.  Jennifer Conroyd is a certified fitness trainer and founder of Fluid Running, a  water running fitness company www.fluidrunning.com. She shares the ways people can derive the same benefits (and more) from water running.

How does water running stack up to land running?

Jennifer suggests running in water ideally at a depth where your feet don’t touch the bottom.  When mimicking land running in the water, your legs get a better workout because water is 800 times denser than air.  Running against all that resistance is even more strenuous than running on land, which really challenges your cardiovascular system.

What are the benefits of water running that you don’t get when running on land?

To hold your body upright in the water requires you to engage your core and stabilizer muscles which, beyond a flatter tummy, helps your overall posture.

When running on land, your arms are just “coming along for the ride”.  When running in the water, arms are swinging through all that density just like your legs, so your arms get a workout too.  

The greatest benefit is that there is absolutely zero negative impact on your joints because you’re essentially floating while doing the workout. 

Not only is there no impact, the water pressure combined with the turbulence you create when running helps to flush out any inflammation or soreness you may have in your legs.

Water running is a “secret weapon” used by many Olympic athletes to not only train when injured but to maintain their peak physical fitness without getting injured.  Studies show that even elite athletes can maintain key fitness metrics (VO2Max, run speed, etc.) by running solely in the water - for up to 6 weeks.

It’s especially beneficial for people who struggle with pain that limits their ability to exercise, people who are overweight, pregnant women and those preparing for and recovering from surgery.  

You burn 40% more calories than running on land at the same intensity. 

You don’t overheat or risk heatstroke in the summer months.

You eliminate the risk of twisting an ankle or falling due to rough terrain.

There is zero negative impact on your body!

What does a water running workout entail?

Jennifer Conroyd  suggests following a workout that ideally has timed intervals that indicate how long and how hard you should be running.  Because you are not hitting the ground, anybody can do this. You don’t have to be a runner. 

30 Minute Water Running Workout

5 minutes

Warm up.  Get comfortable in the water. Shake out the cold.  Slowly work into an easy jog.

5 minutes

Run at 70% effort 

1 minute

Run at an easy pace

4 minutes

Run at 75% effort 

1 minute 

Run at an easy pace

3 minutes

Run at 80% effort 

1 minute

Run at an easy pace

2  minutes

Run at 85% effort

1 minute 

Run at an easy pace

1 minute

Run at 90% effort

1 minute 

Run at an easy pace

:30 seconds 

SPRINT

:30 seconds 

Run at easy pace

4 minute Cool down and stretch on the pool wall if possible

Bio - Jennifer Conroyd

www.fluidrunning.com

Jennifer Conroyd is the founder of Fluid Running, a deep water running fitness company.   Jennifer is certified by The Aquatic Exercise Association, and is an A.C.E. certified personal trainer, a USATF certified coach, and has an Exercise in Medicine credential from ACSM. Jennifer is an accomplished athlete having completed the Ironman and has run 16 marathons, qualifying for the Boston Marathon 15 times.   Jennifer created Fluid Running after an injury left her unable to run in preparation for the 2010 Chicago Marathon.  She ran exclusively in deep water for the six weeks leading up to the race, and not only finished that marathon but qualified for the Boston Marathon.  Fluid Running offers group classes that Men’s Journal voted one of the Best Workouts in America. She was named a finalist for the 2018 Women in Tech Founders award. Jennifer is a graduate of Miami University. She resides in Chicago and is the mom of three adult boys.  

Germinator and AREV Nanotech Brands Inc. Sign Distribution Agreement to Provide the Genesis Platform of Surface Disinfection to Global Public Health Commodity Procurement Programs

The partnership will help serve a dire need for surface disinfectant treatments to prevent the spread of highly infectious diseases to vulnerable populations in developing nations

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, June 03, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- AREV Nanotech Brands, Inc. (CSE:AREV) (CNSX:AREV.CN) (OTC:AREVF) ("AREV" or the “Company"), a publicly traded life science enterprise, and Germinator, leading sanitizing and disinfecting company, have entered into a definitive agreement to provide the Genesis hypochlorous acid (HOCl) platform of surface disinfection to global public health commodity procurement programs to aid refugees and Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) throughout Central and South America, Africa, eastern Europe, and Asia.

Through their partnership, Germinator grants to AREV exclusive rights to distribute Germinator products and use its trademarks and copyrights to any refugee camp, United Nations run facility, UNICEF site or any facility of likeness to the former on a world-wide basis in exchange for AREV publicly-traded shares in the amount equivalent to fifty thousand USD ($50,000) at a price per share equal to twenty-five cents in CAD ($0.25), which amounts to two hundred thousand (261,000) shares of AREV common stock traded on the CSE.

Programs with geographic presence subject to this agreement include: the World Health Organization (WHO), the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, Médecins Sans Frontières, Partners In Health, The U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), Supply Chain Management System (SCMS), John Snow Inc. (JSI), United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), International Organization for Migration (IOM), World Food Programme (WFP), International Rescue Committee (IRC), Danish Refugee Council (DRC), Oxfam, Mercy Corps, Catholic Relief Services (CRS), and others.

Refugee and IDP camps continue to experience a profound health crisis related to COVID-19 as well as drug-resistant variants of other infectious diseases, such as Extensively Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis (XDR TB). The distribution partnership between Germinator and AREV will provide refugee and IDP populations with ongoing access to surface disinfectant treatments and air filtration systems to help curtail the transmission of contagious pathogens.

“This collaboration between AREV and Germinator to expand the utility of the Genesis HOCl disinfection solution into the public health venues that are at greatest risk for highly contagious infectious disease will provide demonstratable solutions essential to vulnerable populations,” said Jeff Gill, Founder and CEO of Germinator. “There are over 70 million people subject to significant overcrowding in more than 100 IDP and refugee camps around the world. These camps are being administrated by an unprecedented number of organizations that have continued to express their deepening concerns regarding current overcapacities as it relates to remediating the potential for new epidemics emerging during the current public health crisis.”

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) of the Department of State has stressed that the COVID-19 pandemic is one of the greatest health challenges the world has ever faced, stating, “In order to beat COVID-19 in the United States and abroad, keep Americans safe, rebuild our economy, and curb the emergence of variants, we must fight it everywhere it exists.”

USAID is currently providing disinfection supplies to countries where COVID-19 has been identified as epidemiologically significant.

Throughout this partnership, AREV has been assigned distribution rights to Germinator’s platform of disinfecting products, including electrostatic sprayers and drone distribution that dispense Germinator’s disinfectant solution. Germinator’s HOCl disinfecting solution is on the EPA N List of products determined to meet the criteria for use against COVID-19 and other microbes. The solution is a virucide against a wide range of bacteria, including Staphylococcus aureus, MRSA, Salmonella enterica, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and viruses including norovirus, rotavirus, and adenovirus on hard, non-porous, environmental surfaces. It meets the Association of Official Agricultural Chemists (AOAC) germicidal spray standards for Hospital-Grade Disinfection.

There continues to be an immediate need for surface transmission remediation and improved sanitation in refugee and IDP populations as variants of infectious diseases continue to mutate. On January 21, 2021, in a National Security Memorandum on United States Global Leadership to Strengthen the International COVID-19 Response and to Advance Global Health Security and Biological Preparedness, President Biden stated that “U.S. international engagement to combat COVID-19 and advance global health security is an urgent priority—to save lives, promote economic recovery, and develop resilience against future biological catastrophes.”

A similar policy directive has been expressed by WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus: “Refugees and migrants live and work in often-harsh conditions with inadequate access to health, housing, water, sanitation and other basic services. It is vital for all countries to reduce barriers that prevent refugees and migrants from obtaining health care, and to include them in national health policies.”

“While global health leaders are working to address COVID-19 among key populations in resource-challenged nations, ongoing remediation of deadly pathogens other than COVID-19 is imperative for the prevention of future catastrophic pandemics, which often begin within vulnerable, transient populations,” said Chad S. Johnson, Esq., Special Counsel to AREV and Strategic Policy Advisor to Germinator. “While cases of drug-resistant infections, including HIV and TB, currently remain low in developed countries, the likelihood of rapid spread continues to grow as population size continues to increase,” Johnson concluded.

“International efforts to remediate COVID-19 infections are now being targeted towards refugee and IDP camps where transient populations present extraordinary risks for perpetuating the pandemic while facing food insecurity and intersecting comorbidities and coinfections. This effort between Germinator and AREV presents the opportunity for a definitive demonstration to the international scientific community that these populations can, in fact, receive adequate prevention from a multitude of pathogens, even under exacting conditions that have international implications,” said Dr. Roscoe M. Moore, Jr., DVM, MPH, Ph.D., the former U.S. Assistant Surgeon General; Board Member, Global Virus Network; and Advisory Board Member, Institute of Human Virology, University of Maryland; and Germinator Scientific Advisory Board Member.

Dr. Jay Noller, who also sits on Germinator’s Scientific Advisory Board, is currently designing a COVID-19 surface transmission remediation study focused on emerging variants in conjunction with colleagues at the Linus Pauling Institute, Oregon State University.

“Surface remediation of COVID-19 is essential and creates a precedent for other confounding public health threats to vulnerable populations. Germinator’s HOCl Genesis solution complements the continuum of care of essential service provision in these challenging settings and affords enhanced public health protection, which complements the Global Health Security Agenda,” said Dr. Noller.

About Germinator

Founded in 2015, Germinator uses advanced antimicrobial science, and their patent-pending methodology not only sanitizes and disinfects, but provides proven, next-level protection to safely kill viruses, bacteria, and other contaminants to create a more livable, touchable Germinator Safe Zone. If it's been disinfected by Germinator, then it will receive verifiable certification.

Microbix Secures Third Ontario Manufacturing Site

Leasing and Equipping 10,000 Square Foot Building Adjacent to Current Sites

MISSISSAUGA, Ontario, June 03, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Microbix Biosystems Inc. (TSX: MBX, OTCQB: MBXBF, Microbix^®), a life sciences innovator and exporter, announces that it has secured a third manufacturing site in Mississauga, Ontario, by way of a long-term lease agreement for a property adjacent to its two current sites.

Specifically, Microbix has secured a multi-year lease to a 10,000 square foot industrial building located at 275 Watline Avenue – Immediately next to its owned biologicals facility that is used for antigens production located at 265 Watline, and closely adjacent to its leased administrative and QAPs manufacturing facility at 235 Watline. As an aside, while Microbix now controls three adjacent properties, management commits not to begin putting-up houses or hotels, regardless of what the rules of the iconic board-game Monopoly^® may suggest.

It is intended that this third site will be reconfigured and equipped to support additional business activities, including, but not necessarily limited to, the following:

• Implementation of further scale-up and full automation of production processes for its DxTM™ branded viral transport medium (generically known as “VTM”) can support molecular (e.g., RT-PCR) and antigen testing for various diseases, and is presently focused upon COVID-19.
• Commissioning of additional space for other fully-automated production processes, including vial-formatted or FLOQSwab^®-formatted quality assessment products (QAPs™).
• Building-out further spaces for product development laboratories, quality control laboratories, warehousing and logistics staging areas, office spaces, and enhanced amenities for staff.

This third site takes Microbix’s total available industrial space to approximately 35,000 square feet across its three adjacent buildings, which should prove sufficient to support of near and medium-term corporate growth objectives. Management believes that the multi-year duration of this new lease justifies the leasehold improvement investments that will be required, that the location of the property is ideal, and that the rental terms are favorable.

Microbix will be taking possession of this third site as of July 1, 2021 and will immediately begin the design and approval processes for the necessary renovations. The funds required to renovate and equip this third site were secured by way of the public offering and concurrent private placement that were completed in May, 2021, and the amounts to be invested at this third site are currently expected to be in accordance with the disclosures in Microbix’s short-form prospectus dated May 12, 2021.

About Microbix Biosystems
Microbix develops proprietary biological technology solutions for human health and well-being, with about 90 skilled employees and sales growing from a base of over $1 million per month. It makes a wide range of critical biological materials for the global diagnostics industry, notably antigens for immunoassays and its laboratory quality assessment products (QAPs™) that support clinical lab proficiency testing, enable assay development and validation, or help ensure the quality of clinical diagnostic workflows. Microbix antigens enable the antibody tests of over 100 international diagnostics companies, while its QAPs are sold to clinical laboratory accreditation organizations, diagnostics companies, and clinical laboratories. Microbix QAPs are now available in over 30 countries, distributed by 1WA (Oneworld Accuracy Inc.), Alpha-Tec Systems, Inc., Diagnostic International Distribution SpA., Labquality Oy, The Medical Supply Company of Ireland, R-Biopharm AG, SDT Molecular Pte Ltd, and Seegene Canada Inc. Microbix is ISO 9001 and 13485 accredited, U.S. FDA registered, Australian TGA registered, Health Canada establishment licensed, and provides CE marked products.

Microbix also applies its biological expertise and infrastructure to develop other proprietary products and technologies, most notably viral transport medium (DxTM™) to stabilize patient samples for lab-based molecular diagnostic testing and Kinlytic^® urokinase, a biologic thrombolytic drug used to treat blood clots. Microbix is traded on the TSX and OTCQB, and headquartered in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada.
Sales or distribution inquiries should be directed to customer.service@microbix.com.

Forward-Looking Information
This news release includes “forward-looking information,” as such term is defined in applicable securities laws. Forward-looking information includes, without limitation, discussion of the third site, its lease terms or usage, the site-related investments to be made, the referenced product lines or their uses, whether Monopoly^® is iconic, Microbix’s business and business results, goals or outlook, risks associated with financial results and stability, development projects such as those referenced in its corporate presentation, regulatory compliance and approvals, sales to foreign jurisdictions, engineering and construction, production (including control over costs, quality, quantity and timeliness of delivery), foreign currency and exchange rates, maintaining adequate working capital and raising further capital on acceptable terms or at all, and other similar statements concerning anticipated future events, conditions or results that are not historical facts. These statements reflect management’s current estimates, beliefs, intentions and expectations; they are not guarantees of future performance. The Company cautions that all forward-looking information is inherently uncertain and that actual performance may be affected by a number of material factors, many of which are beyond the Company’s control. Accordingly, actual future events, conditions and results may differ materially from the estimates, beliefs, intentions and expectations expressed or implied in the forward-looking information. All statements are made as of the date of this news release and represent the Company’s judgement as of the date of this new release, and the Company is under no obligation to update or alter any forward-looking information.

Canadian study investigates immune response and vaccine hesitancy among Canada’s South Asian communities

HAMILTON, Ontario, June 03, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Government of Canada, through its COVID-19 Immunity Task Force and Vaccine Surveillance Reference Group is supporting a new pan-Canadian study that will investigate the immune response to the COVID-19 vaccine within the South Asian community. Approximately $1.5 million is being invested in this study, which will seek to understand vaccine confidence and hesitancy in this population that has been disproportionately affected by COVID-19.

Canada’s South Asian communities are the fastest growing ethnic group in Canada, and are among the highest at-risk populations for illness from COVID-19. South Asians have a five to 10-fold higher risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection, and a 1.5 to two-fold higher mortality risk after SARS-CoV-2 infection, compared to white Canadians.

The study of 3,000 South Asians in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) in Ontario and the Greater Vancouver Area (GVA) in British Columbia (B.C.) will seek to understand if these ethnic differences can be explained by unique socio-cultural factors, such as multigenerational households, occupational factors such as doing essential work, and biological factors such as pathophysiological differences in susceptibility or response to infection and vaccination.

Participants in the study—called COVID CommUNITY-South Asian—will also include those from earlier studies in the GTA and GVA led by the Population Health Research Institute (PHRI) of McMaster University and Hamilton Health Sciences.

“Our study is a prospective cohort study—meaning we enroll participants at the community vaccination clinics being held in South Asian ‘hot spots’ such as Brampton, and the rest of the GTA, and follow them forward in time to collect contextual information including their living and work conditions, clinical and health care access information,” said Sonia Anand, principal investigator of the study. Anand is a professor of medicine at McMaster, vascular medicine physician at Hamilton Health Sciences, a senior scientist at PHRI, and director of the Chanchlani Research Centre at McMaster. “This is a more targeted approach to conducting a study, rather than ‘after the fact’ approaches, such as inferring ethnicity by last name or by postal code in participant data,” she said.

“South Asian communities across Canada have been hit hard by the pandemic and it’s vital that they understand the safety and effectiveness of vaccines. This study will also help us understand why some people may be hesitant about being vaccinated,” said Scott Lear, the lead principal investigator in B.C. and a professor in the Faculty of Health Sciences at Simon Fraser University.

“It is critical that we increase vaccine uptake for all Canadians, but we know that the South Asian community will need specific attention and targeted outreach, particularly given the disproportionate impacts of COVID-19 on this ethnocultural community,” said Lawrence Loh, co-investigator and Medical Officer of Health, Peel Region, Ontario. “This study will allow us to understand where there is hesitancy, use the science to demonstrate the safety and efficacy of Health Canada approved COVID-19 vaccines, and lead to more people within the South Asian community making the choice to accept this life-saving vaccine.”

“It is imperative that we study the immune response to vaccines not only in the general population, but in priority populations, such as the South Asian community,” says Scott Halperin, co-chair of the Vaccine Surveillance Reference Group and principal investigator of the Canadian Research Immunization Network. “We need to ensure that the level of antibodies achieved is comparable across various populations.”

The COVIDCommUNITY-South Asian study involves an interdisciplinary team of experts and strong collaborations with public health and South Asian community organizations. Along with Sonia Anand and Scott Lear, co-investigators include McMaster University’s Dawn Bowdish (immunology), Russell de Souza (epidemiology), Mark Loeb (infectious diseases), Sujane Kandasamy (qualitative research), Gita Wahi (pediatrics), Rahul Chanchlani (health services research) and Zubin Punthakee (epidemiology). The team also includes Shrikant Bangdiwala, Senior Scientist and Director, Statistics, PHRI, and Shelly Bolotin (sero-epidemiology) from Public Health Ontario and the University of Toronto.

About McMaster University

McMaster University, one of four Canadian universities listed among the Top 100 universities in the world, is renowned for its innovation in both learning and discovery. It has a student population of 34,000, and more than 195,000 alumni in 162 countries. The Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine has a global reputation for educational advancement, and is internationally known for its research intensity and development of evidence-based medicine.

About the Population Health Research Institute (PHRI)

PHRI, a joint research institute of McMaster University and Hamilton Health Sciences, is a world leader in clinical trials, large population health studies and epidemiology expertise. PHRI has the capacity to conduct several international studies concurrently, with as many as 10,000 participants in a study. More than 80 studies are currently underway nationally and globally. Overall, PHRI research encompasses 1.5 million participants in 102 countries on six continents. Founded in 1999 by Dr. Salim Yusuf, who remains PHRI’s Executive Director, the institute’s success is a story of global collaboration and innovation through trans-disciplinary research including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, perioperative and surgery, stroke and brain health, infectious diseases, and more. For more information, visit phri.ca and on Twitter @PHRIresearch.

About Hamilton Health Sciences

Hamilton Health Sciences (HHS) is a hospital system of 15,000 staff, physicians, researchers and volunteers that proudly serves south central Ontario residents. We also provide specialized, advanced care to people from across the province. HHS is the only hospital in Ontario that cares for all ages, from pre-birth to end-of-life. We offer world-leading expertise in many areas, including cardiac and stroke care, cancer care, palliative care and pediatrics. We are a world-renowned hospital for healthcare research. We focus daily on improving the quality of care for our patients through innovation and evidence-based practices. As the largest employer in the Greater Hamilton region, HHS plays a vital role in training the next generation of health professionals in collaboration with our academic partners, including McMaster University and Mohawk College.

About the Vaccine Surveillance Reference Group

The Vaccine Surveillance Reference Group (VSRG) supports the monitoring of the safety and effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines in Canada. It is a consortium of Canadian organizations — the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC), the Canadian Research Immunization Network (CIRN), the National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI), and the COVID-19 Immunity Task Force (CITF) — working collaboratively to pool expertise on vaccine surveillance. The VSRG reports to PHAC and is supported by the CITF Secretariat. It is co-chaired by the leaders of NACI and CIRN. Among its responsibilities, the VSRG, through the CITF Executive Committee, makes recommendations to PHAC on funding research teams that can address important aspects of the immune response, safety, and effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines with public health relevance and with attention to all priority groups. For more information visit: covid19immunitytaskforce.ca/vaccine-surveillance-referencegroup-vsrg/ 

About the COVID-19 Immunity Task Force

The Government of Canada established the COVID-19 Immunity Task Force in late April 2020. The Task Force is overseen by a Leadership Group of volunteers that includes leading Canadian scientists and experts from universities and healthcare facilities across Canada who are focused on understanding the nature of immunity arising from the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19. To that end, the CITF is supporting numerous studies to determine the extent of SARS-CoV-2 infection in Canada (in the general population as well as in specific communities and priority populations), understand the nature of immunity following infection, develop improved antibody testing methods, and help monitor the effectiveness and safety of vaccines as they are rolled out across Canada. The Task Force and its Secretariat work closely with a range of partners, including governments, public health agencies, institutions, health organizations, research teams, other task forces, and engages communities and stakeholders. Most recently, the Task Force has been asked to support vaccine surveillance, effectiveness and safety as part of its overall objective to generate data and ideas that inform interventions aimed at slowing—and ultimately stopping—the spread of SARS-CoV-2 in Canada. For more information visit: www.covid19immunitytaskforce.ca 

Pan-Canadian Survey Reveals Long-term Harm of COVID to Brain Health

Responses Suggest Economic, Health and Societal Costs with Consequences on Health Sector and Labour Force

VANCOUVER, BC and MONTREAL, June 3, 2021 /CNW/ - A pan-Canadian survey of more than 1,000 COVID long-haulers, individuals with COVID-19 symptoms that last weeks or months, reveals the impact of Long COVID on brain health. From coast to coast, cognitive impairment or "brain fog" was among the top reported symptoms, along with fatigue and shortness of breath. Additional brain-related symptoms included headaches, dizziness, and anxiety. Over 80% of respondents experienced symptoms for more than three months, and almost 50% experienced symptoms for 11 months or more. While vaccines and physical distancing are important to prevent and mitigate COVID-19, the survey suggests the impact of COVID-19 on brain health will last beyond the pandemic.

A detailed report on the survey is forthcoming and will be available on the website of the alliance members listed below. Survey results are consistent with other scientific findings, including that Long COVID is disproportionately impacting women in their middle years. This is the largest publicly available survey of people living with Long COVID in Canada to date.

"It is our hope that the data collected from this survey will highlight the implications of Long COVID on brain health. Creating awareness through lived experiences and patient collaboration will magnify the urgency to act on funding for research and rehabilitation of long-haulers," said COVID Long-Haulers Support Group Canada Founder Susie Goulding.

The survey is the result of an alliance between Viral Neuro Exploration (VINEx), COVID Long Haulers Support Group Canada, and Neurological Health Charities Canada (NHCC) to build awareness and increase funding for research and care on Long COVID. The alliance leverages science, clinical research, and lived experiences from patient groups, and is reaching out to other organizations with an interest in the lasting and long-term impacts of COVID-19. 

"The survey underlines earlier observations that COVID-19 can cause neurological damage which persists months after the initial infection. It clearly indicates that Canada needs action on brain health in COVID and post-COVID contexts," said Neurological Health Charities Canada Manager Deanna Groetzinger.

According to the survey, nearly half of respondents received care for long-lasting symptoms in a healthcare clinic more than five times. Nearly a third received care more than 10 times. Six out of 10 had to take leave from work as a consequence of living with Long COVID, for weeks or months at a time, sometimes leading to early retirement. The responses suggest ongoing economic, health and societal costs with ripple effects into the public health sector and labour force. 

"We must make the study of viral impacts on the brain a priority, beginning with COVID-19 survivors who need answers. One or more clinical trials of sufficient scale, with patients followed over time, would generate data needed to better understand Long COVID and the neurological and psychological consequences of this infection. What we learn from more research on Long COVID will also accelerate our understanding of how viruses and future pandemics may affect brain health, including as possible triggers for neurodegenerative diseases," said VINEx Global Director Inez Jabalpurwala. 

In addition to its alliance with COVID Long Haulers Support Group Canada and NHCC, VINEx has become an international member of the Long COVID Alliance in the United States. This alliance, led by SOLVE M.E., was central to the bipartisan legislation introduced on May 27^th to provide nearly 100 million USD in Long COVID funding for research and education initiatives. 

It is currently estimated that 25-35% of COVID-19 patients are experiencing the long-term effects of the virus. The COVID-19 count in Canada as of June 2^nd is 1,383,214, which means that anywhere from 345,803 to 484,125 people may have been or are currently living with Long COVID in this country.

The Survey in Numbers

• The survey ran from May 5^th to May 26^th 2021 and reached 1,048 respondents with Long COVID from all ten provinces and three territories. 
• Participants ranged in age from under 18 to over 90. Nearly 60% were aged 40 to 59. 
• More than 87% of respondents identified as women. Members of cultural minorities represented 9% of participants*. 
• Before having COVID-19, nearly 63% of respondents did not have a long-term health condition. 
• 57% of participants received a positive COVID-19 test. It should be noted that respondents may not have had access to COVID-19 tests at the times of their initial infection. 
• More than 85% of participants were not admitted to hospital during their initial infection. 
• Nearly 70% of respondents had to take leave from work. More than half had to reduce working hours, with 74%reducing their working hours by 50% or more. 

*We recognise that the percentage of cultural minority respondents may be undercounted given the survey sample. The survey might not have reached cultural minorities in a proportion comparable to their shares of the Canadian population.

About

In April 2020, Rocket Science Health, a private brain-health focused medical device company, launched Viral Neuro Exploration (VINEx)  as an initiative aimed at raising attention to, and investment in, how viruses affect the central nervous system and brain health. VINEx was incorporated as an independent non-profit in November 2020. While the COVID-19 crisis creates urgency and is the initial focus, VINEx's vision has a longer time horizon, and will involve other known and unknown coronaviruses, and other viruses. To achieve its vision, VINEx is bringing together thought leadership from the research community to drive actionable projects where collaboration, co-ordination and investment are needed. 

The Covid Long Haulers Support Group Canada is creating awareness of the effects COVID-19 has on long-haulers, symptomatically, financially and economically. They lobby for recognition from government officials and the public and want it to be understood that long-haulers are not recovered. There is still robust, longitudinal research and rehabilitation targeted for long-haulers that need to be funded. Through their efforts of sharing lived experiences with media and creating momentum, they hope to create change.

Neurological Health Charities Canada (NHCC) is a coalition of organizations that represent people with brain diseases, disorders and injuries in Canada. NHCC provides leadership in evaluating and advancing new opportunities for collaboration specific to advocacy, education and research to improve the quality of life for people affected by brain conditions. NHCC is open to charities and non-profit organizations with a specific interest in brain conditions. 

SOURCE VINEx