Novel Coronavirus COVID-19 (nCoV-2019)

[AlbertC]

Richmond Hill firm develops rapid COVID-19 test to get results in less than 5 minutes

Tue., July 14, 2020

LooK SPOT, a portable rapid point-of-care antigen test device, is the brainchild of Laipac Technology Inc., a leading GPS electrical engineering company based in Richmond Hill.

The test, which is expected to roll out in September, will be able to detect proteins of the new coronavirus from a nasal swab sample in less than five minutes with 95 per cent accuracy, according to Laipac.

“It will be the start of something big,” Diego Lai, founder and CEO of Laipac Technology, said on July 8. “We have a lot of faith in this and hope it would become something that would help a lot of people.”

With no prior training required, the test is based on a technique called lateral flow immunoassay (LFIA) —commonly used for home pregnancy tests — which only takes a few minutes to produce a result after a sample comes in contact with the LFIA strip, according to the company’s website.

LooK SPOT returns the test result on a smartphone, using artificial intelligence and machine-learning technology, when the strip is inserted into the device that is clamped onto the phone.

Richmond Hill firm develops rapid COVID-19 test to get results in less than 5 minutes

As the federal and provincial governments ramp up COVID-19 testing, a Richmond Hill company is breaking new ground in rapid testing.

www.thestar.com

 

[WislaHD]

I'm not going to the bars anytime soon.. Bars have been linked to new outbreaks in Vancouver, Montreal, Seoul, Minnesota, California, Vegas..etc

Vancouver COVID-19 alert: Multiple individuals at Hotel Belmont bar and nightclub test positive

For the second time within the past two weeks, a COVID-19 exposure event has taken place in Downtown Vancouver.

www.straight.com

Most times I have caught some sort of illness has been after nights out. I don't think bars and other establishments do the best job with cleaning glasses.

 

[Towered]

I'm not going to the bars anytime soon.. Bars have been linked to new outbreaks in Vancouver, Montreal, Seoul, Minnesota, California, Vegas..etc

Vancouver COVID-19 alert: Multiple individuals at Hotel Belmont bar and nightclub test positive

For the second time within the past two weeks, a COVID-19 exposure event has taken place in Downtown Vancouver.

www.straight.com

Small, cramped spaces with tons of people singing, dancing, etc...what could possibly go wrong??

 

[gabe]

Most times I have caught some sort of illness has been after nights out. I don't think bars and other establishments do the best job with cleaning glasses.

It's the customers a lot of the time, although i have seen some bartenders pick up clean glasses by the rim of the glass with their dirty hands. I used to be a server, i got sick a couple times a year. Since i got out of that business i rarely ever get sick. i barely get a runny nose.. Bars are like a Petri dish. All those people crammed in a small space with poor ventilation, people coughing and sneezing spreading germs to everyone and everything.

 

[lenaitch]

Nope, nothing to see here:

Turkmenistan orders mask-wearing to combat 'dust'

The government of reclusive Turkmenistan, which insists that the Central Asian country has never had a single coronavirus case, recommended on Monday that residents wear masks because of 'dust.'

www.ctvnews.ca

 

[TheKingEast]

I'll say...when I was a young wippersnapper and would frequent bars and clubs...I used to come down with some horrible colds, bugs, etc. I've stopped going to clubs for close to 10 years now and am rarely sick. I also don't swap spit with strangers anymore so that could have something to do with it too.

On a serious note, clubs should be shut down until there's a proven vaccine. Bars....I don't know. Alcohol does impair judgement.

 

[Jasmine18]

If a business is still closed down after stage 3 for health reason then the government must give them compensation.

I think that is fair.

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

If a business is still closed down after stage 3 for health reason then the government must give them compensation.

I think that is fair.

Why is it "fair"? Government is there to protect the general public, not to shield non-essential business from risks and "acts of god". Also, I don't see the point of the government throwing money after businesses that in all likelihood won't survive.

AoD

 

[Johnny Au]

Meanwhile, various theme parks are planning to sue their local state or provincial governments for not being allowed to open:

The video creator also mentioned that bars and restaurants are less safe than theme parks when it comes to COVID-19.

 

[Jasmine18]

Why is it "fair"? Government is there to protect the general public, not to shield non-essential business from risks and "acts of god". Also, I don't see the point of the government throwing money after businesses that in all likelihood won't survive.

AoD

Well I think you forget that small business owners are human beings as well lol...

Also this is not a simple Act of God this is a once in a hundred year event.

So your logic is to give everyone CERB but under your plan based on your previous posts which to just close eveything forever is to ensure there's no jobs for them to return to.

My point is though that a lot of these businesses would survive if they're allowed to open but they should not open due to a public health risk.
A lot of businesses are doing quite well that have reopened though fast food and such. Like my fiance is a manager at a takeout restaurant for Mexican food and their business is actually up from before covid-19.

So that's why I'm saying if that if we are going to keep them closed till 2021 in the pursuit of Public Safety I think it's more than fair that they get a bailout of some kind.

Or else they should be allowed to open.

 

[Northern Light]

From BC; again an example of provincial leadership on the handling of migrant workers, specifically, in relation to Covid.

The article below indicates after an early outbreak on a farm, BC moved to require all incoming migrant workers to quarantine in government accommodation (leased hotels) for 14 days and be tested, negative, for Covid prior to being released to work.

B.C.’s $10-million quarantine program seen as model for how to treat migrant workers

B.C.’s approach has helped the province largely avoid the agricultural sector outbreaks that are hitting Ontario, where hundreds of migrant workers have tested positive for the coronavirus

www.theglobeandmail.com

As a result, far fewer outbreaks in the migrant worker community than seen here in Ontario.

 

[PinkLucy]

Trump Administration Strips C.D.C. of Control of Coronavirus Data (Published 2020)

Hospitals have been ordered to bypass the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and send all patient information to a central database in Washington, raising questions about transparency.

www.nytimes.com

 

[TrickyRicky]

https://www.ctvnews.ca/health/coron...th-covid-19-cases-in-last-two-weeks-1.5024278

The passage that jumped out at me is that Ontario, Quebec, and the maritime don’t compile data on Covid cases on flights.

The next passage that jumps out at me is that the Federal government relies on provincial and territorial data.

...sigh. Oh Canada

 

[Rimsky44]

W

Trump Administration Strips C.D.C. of Control of Coronavirus Data (Published 2020)

Hospitals have been ordered to bypass the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and send all patient information to a central database in Washington, raising questions about transparency.

www.nytimes.com

Not unexpected from the current administration. If it's not good news that helps re-election chances, they want no news.

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

Well I think you forget that small business owners are human beings as well lol...

Also this is not a simple Act of God this is a once in a hundred year event.

So your logic is to give everyone CERB but under your plan based on your previous posts which to just close eveything forever is to ensure there's no jobs for them to return to.

My point is though that a lot of these businesses would survive if they're allowed to open but they should not open due to a public health risk.
A lot of businesses are doing quite well that have reopened though fast food and such. Like my fiance is a manager at a takeout restaurant for Mexican food and their business is actually up from before covid-19.

So that's why I'm saying if that if we are going to keep them closed till 2021 in the pursuit of Public Safety I think it's more than fair that they get a bailout of some kind.

Or else they should be allowed to open.

I did not forget for one second that business owners are people. The government is there to provide a basic safety net to ensure individuals can survive above a certain floor - not to take over the risk of private enterprise. Do not equate the unwillingness to preserve a non-viable business as unwillingness to prevent destitution. And it isn't like businesses aren't willing to push their employees to CERB either - I am not sure why we need to bail high-risk businesses out when the government is already supporting the ex-employees from the jobs said businesses have already eliminated (or maintained only through the wage subsidy) and will continue to do so.

As to reopening - fast food outlets opened as takeout only, which restaurants are also allowed to provide. Just because other restaurants can't make it in this environment doesn't make it the government's job to support it. Government in general should not be enabling private profit, public risk except where it makes sense strategically.

AoD