Oasis Discussions

News Bites from CDA Knowledge Networks – 2020/05/27

U of A spinoff company developing simple blood test to predict severity of COVID-19 in patients. folio.ca, May 27: Nanostics using diagnostic technology to help health professionals intervene more quickly and efficiently with patients who are likely to need hospital care. Read more

40 flights carrying personal protective equipment have arrived in Canada, Trudeau says. cbc.ca, May 26: More than 40 flights carrying personal protective equipment have arrived in Canada, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said, as countries around the world engage in a mad scramble to procure the critical items. Read more

Coronavirus: What's happening: Coronavirus: What's happening in Canada on Wednesday. cbc.ca, May 27: Staffing, protective equipment still a challenge in Quebec long-term care homes, military report says. Military alleges horrific conditions, abuse in pandemic-hit Ontario nursing homes. Royal Bank and BMO profit cut in half as banks set aside 6 times more money for bad loans. R, a key metric to watch as COVID-19 restrictions are lifted. Read more

UBC Researchers Develop Portable Ultrasound Scanner Network For COVID-19. apsc.ubc.ca, May 26: The scanners pair a commercial ultrasound device with a secure online library of lung ultrasound images and a specially developed artificial intelligence (AI) algorithm, allowing health care practitioners to diagnose COVID-19 at the point of care — almost instantly. Read more

COVID-19’s impact on mental health and returning to the workplace. conferenceboard.ca, May 26: ... Preliminary evidence suggests that psychological distress will be an outcome of the pandemic, with 16–28 per cent of persons experiencing symptoms of anxiety and depression. Read more

COVID-19 in Ontario is now primarily a Toronto-area problem, figures show. cbc.ca, May 27: More than 76% of province's new infections are in the GTA. Read more

Firefighter masks repurposed to boost ventilator capacity. news.westernu.ca, May 25: If it proves to be effective, the hope is to make the design open-source so any hospital around the globe with access to a 3D printer and firefighter masks could create them. Read more

If asymptomatic testing for COVID-19 not done carefully, more issues could arise, experts say. theglobeandmail.com, May 25: As Ontario embarks on an ambitious plan to start widespread testing of asymptomatic individuals for COVID-19, medical experts warn that unless it’s done carefully and methodically, such a strategy could create more problems than it solves. Read more

Ottawa lacks financial capacity to withstand another economic lockdown, must look to rein in spending. nationalpost.com, May 26: The new C.D. Howe Institute report warns the Liberals against 'turning one-off deficits into structural deficits' as Canada comes out of the first COVID-19 wave. Read more

MPs debate as Liberals, with NDP support, aim to suspend Parliament until Sept. 21. theglobeandmail.com, May 26: Members of Parliament will debate for a second day on Tuesday a Liberal plan to extend the current suspension of the House of Commons for another four months. Read more

'A key milestone': COVID-19 vaccine 'highly effective' in ferrets, says VIDO-Intervac. thestarphoenix.com, May 25: After becoming the first Canadian lab to develop an animal model for COVID-19 vaccine testing, VIDO-InterVac’s vaccine has proven “highly effective in ferrets,”. Read more

Here's what needs to happen before we can all get vaccinated for COVID-19. cbc.ca, May 25: Potential vaccine must pass animal tests, 3 levels of clinical trials. Read more

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). who.int, May 27: Situation report – 127. Read more

France, Italy, Belgium act to stop use of hydroxychloroquine for COVID-19 over safety fears. cbc.ca, May 27: WHO recently said it was putting a temporary pause on drug in multinational trial. Read more

Fears of coronavirus second wave prompt flu push at U.S. pharmacies, drugmakers. ca.reuters.com, May 26: U.S. pharmacy chains are preparing a big push for flu vaccinations when the season kicks off in October, hoping to curb tens of thousands of serious cases that could coincide with a second wave of coronavirus infections. Read more

With big talk and hurled insults, the gloves come off in the race for the coronavirus vaccine. cnn.com, May 27: Ethicists and physicians are concerned that, amid a desire to put an end to the Covid-19 pandemic, developers of drugs and vaccines have become overly enthusiastic about the chances their products will work. Read more

World Health Organization temporarily halts hydroxychloroquine trials. cbc.ca, May 25: WHO cites concerns about serious side-effects when the drug is used to treat COVID-19. Read more

U.S. company trials coronavirus vaccine candidate in Australia. cbc.ca, May 26: A U.S. biotechnology company began injecting a coronavirus vaccine candidate into people in Australia on Tuesday with hopes of releasing a proven vaccine this year. Read more

US drugmaker advances virus vaccine, treatment candidates. detroitnews.com, May 26: Merck & Co. moved to bolster the global fight against the coronavirus, unveiling development plans for a pill to the treat the infection and two vaccines to prevent it. Read more

'Convincing' evidence suggests cloth masks may help reduce COVID-19 transmission. ctvnews.ca, May 26: Face masks made with multiple layers of cloth may help prevent further transmission of COVID-19, according to an international team of researchers. Read more

Military report reveals what sector has long known: Ontario's nursing homes are in trouble. cbc.ca, May 27: System has been 'ignored' and 'neglected' for decades, says province's minister for long-term care. Read more

Ford vows accountability after military report reveals 'horrific' long-term care conditions. cbc.ca, May 26: Those are just some of the disturbing details in a Canadian Armed Forces report made public Tuesday. Read more

Liberals shut down debate over plan to extend suspension of Parliament. theglobeandmail.com, May 26: The Liberal government’s plan to extend the suspension of regular parliamentary sittings until September because of COVID-19 went ahead Tuesday with the support of the NDP. Read more

ShareSmart Set to Revolutionize Canadian Virtual Healthcare Through a Secure and Convenient Canadian Platform. digitaljournal.com, May 26: Think Tank Innovations, a Canadian communication company today announced an early access offering to their secure video communication platform, which expands upon its mature, health professional collaboration platform, ShareSmart. ShareSmart, is designed to support the delivery of a Pan-Canadian virtual health strategy to facilitate telemedicine, teledentistry and other telehealth services. Read more

SmileDirectClub's stock jumps after joining Empire BlueCross BlueShield networks. marketwatch.com, May 27: Shares of SmileDirectClub shot up in premarket trading Wednesday, after the direct-to-consumer teeth straightening product company said it has joined Empire BlueCross BlueShield's new teledentistry orthodontia coverage program. Read more

WHO launches reports on novel tobacco products to help bridge gap between science and policy. euro.who.int, May 25: WHO is publishing 3 reports to inform countries on the current state of scientific knowledge, and regulatory and policy options available on novel tobacco products such as electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS), electronic non-nicotine delivery systems (ENNDS) and heated tobacco products (HTPs). Read more

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McGill University – Continuing dental education

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Université Laval – Formation continue

University of Manitoba – Continuing professional development

Université de Montréal – Formation dentaire continue

University of Alberta – Program and courses

University of British Columbia – Calendar of courses

University of Saskatchewan – Continuing professional dental education

University of Toronto – Continuing dental education

 

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