An antibody test is approved, and with that come new concerns

NOW: More tickets are available for the National Pharmaceutical Congress Spring 2020 Webinar, "After This Rude Interruption: What the Life Sciences Will Look Like After the Covid Crisis" Wed., May 20, 11 a.m. to noon (EDT.) Panel discussion of thought-leaders from the Canadian Life Sciences and physician communities to discuss and determine the way forward. Faculty includes: Wendy Adams, Galderma Canada; Peter Brenders, Kontollo Health (lead panellist); Dr. Wayne P. Gulliver, Memorial University of Newfoundland & Labrador; Robin Hunter, Malinckrodt; Richard Lajoie, Bausch Health; Mitch Shannon, Chronicle Companies (host.) Registration is free. Register now at http://tiny.cc/NPC-Spring

May 14, 2020 — We can almost see the Victoria Day long weekend now, although out of necessity it will be unlike any prior "May two-four" occasions. With that in mind, Chronicle assistant editor Dhiren Mahiban brings you Thursday's edition of the CurveFlattener. 

On Tuesday (05/12) Health Canada approved the first Covid-19 serological test for use in Canada to detect antibodies specific to the coronavirus. 

Health Canada said the tests will be used in laboratories to detect Covid-19 antibodies and help to better understand whether people who have been infected are immune to the virus. Further research will also help understand the relationship between positive antibody tests and the protection against reinfection. 

The agency plans to collect and test at least one million Canadian blood samples over the next two years to track the virus. 

While the approval of the antibody test seems like a step in the right direction, this CNN story notes the approval of antibody tests has raised some concerns. 

A brief by scientific advisors to the UK government published last week suggests widespread antibody testing could lead to employers not allowing employees who test antibody negative to return to work. There is an additional concern that employers may choose to only hire those with antibody-positive test results. 

COVID CHRONICLE 05/14/2020

• Researchers at Orygen and La Trobe University in Melbourne, Australia completed a review of epidemic and pandemic research to assess the potential impact of Covid-19 on people with psychosis. The study published online ahead of print in Schizophrenia Research (May 6, 2020), found an increase in the prevalence of psychosis as a result of Covid-19 would likely be associated with viral exposure, pre-existing vulnerability, and psychosocial stress.
• A study conducted at the Center for Healthy Aging at the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University shows why older individuals are vulnerable to Covid-19. According to researchers, a group of tiny RNA that should attack the virus causing Covid-19 when it tries to infect the body are diminished with age and chronic health problems—a decrease that likely explains why older individuals are part of the vulnerable population. The study is published in the journal Aging and Disease. 

• Air Canada is planning on introducing mandatory temperature checks for all passengers as a screening measure for Covid-19, but according to a CBC News story, some privacy experts say the checks breach privacy laws. CBC News reports that West Jet started conducting temperature checks on Monday as part of a pilot project.

• This week (05/11-17) is National Nursing Week across the country. Celebrated annually from the Monday to Sunday of Florence Nightingale's birthday (May 12), this year's theme, developed by the International Council of Nurses (ICN), is 'Nurses: A Voice to Lead—Nursing the World to Health'. The ICN hopes the theme helps showcase how nurses are central to addressing a wide range of health challenges. The World Health Organization has designated 2020 as the Year of the Nurse and Midwife in honour of the 200th anniversary of Nightingale's birth.  

STORIES CHRONICLE IS WORKING ON TODAY

• The Ontario Pharmaceutical Marketing Association (OPMA) recently hosted a webinar to discuss how the pharmaceutical industry is assessing and reacting to the impact of Covid-19. In an upcoming issue of The Chronicle of Healthcare Marketing, we will have highlights from the event which included a panel of industry experts.

• As Canadians forced indoors to reduce the spread of Covid-19 will soon likely look to spend more time outside, the Canadian Dermatology Association (CDA) is reminding everyone that melanoma is one of the few types of cancer that continues to increase in incidence each year. Over at Derm.City we have a post outlining the CDA's tips to minimize melanoma risk.

RIGHT NOW WE ARE LISTENING TO... 

The 'Longform' podcast hosted by Aaron Lammer, Max Linsky, and Evan Ratliff. The hosts interview writers, journalists, filmmakers, and podcasters about their work. This week we listened to Episode #380 with Ronan Farrow, the Pulitzer-winning investigative reporter for The New Yorker. 

LATER WE'RE READING...

The Accidental Billionaires: The founding of Facebook written by Ben Mezrich. The book focuses on Eduardo Saverin and Mark Zuckerberg—friends at Harvard University—and the backstory which inspired the creation of the social networking site Facebook. 

TONIGHT WE ARE COOKING...

Spicy whole wheat linguini with sausage and roasted red peppers. This is dish will take care of your dinner plans for the rest of the week and help you into the long weekend. 

AND HOW ARE YOU DOING?

Please make use of the comments section at the Daily CurveFlattener, to let us know what you're up to today. Or feel free to check in via LinkedIn, email, or your choice of connector. By all means, pass this newsletter along to your colleagues.

That's it. Stay in touch, stay safe. My colleague Jeremy Visser will be here tomorrow to get you ready for the long weekend.