Canadian scientists make COVID-19 research breakthrough, isolating virus

[Dennis Donovan]

https://www.ctvnews.ca/health/coronavirus/canadian-scientists-make-covid-19-research-breakthrough-isolating-virus-1.4851641

Nicole Bogart
CTVNews.ca Writer

Published Friday, March 13, 2020 9:13AM EDT
Last Updated Friday, March 13, 2020 9:55AM EDT

TORONTO -- A group of Canadian scientists has successfully isolated and grown copies of the novel coronavirus responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic, paving the way for a potential vaccine.

Researchers say isolating the virus will help develop treatments, vaccines and tests for the virus and allow them to conduct long-term research to understand the biology of COVID-19.

"We need key tools to develop solutions to this pandemic,” Dr. Samira Mubareka, microbiologist and infectious diseases physician at Sunnybrook, said in a statement.

“While the immediate response is crucial, longer-term solutions come from essential research into this novel virus."

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Good news!

[blueinredohio]

1. I wonder if they develop a vaccine we can go to Canada to get it?

[OneCrazyDiamond]

17. I know Canada doesn't want to ship us drugs,

even if it was legal:
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-healthcare-canada/canadian-drug-distributors-say-no-to-trump-import-plan-idUSKBN1YO24O

Now maybe the next administration will get us a deal.

[FailureToCommunicate]

20. Canada may be polite enough to offer it to us. Canadian doctors gave the world insulin...

without a patent or cost, after all, in the 1920's.

[Botany]

2. Loves me some Canada

I hope this is a breakthrough.

[crickets]

3. Good news! Way to go, Canada.

Vaccines are still a long way off, but every hurdle cleared helps.

[Leghorn21]

4. K&R!

...standing by....

[Guilded Lilly]

5. Kick kick kick!

[uponit7771]

6. NICE !!!! This is a major step like in the movie Contagion !!

[Bayard]

7. Excellent!

[Princess Turandot]

8. Good for them! But the reporting is a bit of 'home cooking'...

It's certainly very important for their research. It will also enable scientists to see if mutations in the virus are occurring. But other labs have already done this, in China and Australia, to name two of them.

[Igel]

9. Indeed.

And not just to say, "We can do it," but, for example, in a study as to how long into infection it takes for a person to be contagious.

That requires both enough coronavirus to be produced but also--and this is the relevant bit--whether or not the virus they harvested from the patient could be grown in the lab.

Meaning that for dozens of patients they took samples at least once a day and then had enough confidence in their COVID-19 growing abilities to declare that the virus was or was not viable.

[luvtheGWN]

13. Yes, it is.

But China -- as soon as the virus properties could be isolated -- sent samples immediately to their counterparts in Canada and Australia -- to name just two. So the Canucks and the Aussies started work on it immediately.

Gosh, just imagine that their research took place in government-funded institutions (research institutes attached to public hospitals). Well, that's socialism for you

[Fla Dem]

10. Encouraging news for the future.

[Johnyawl]

11. The virus cancelled the hockey season...

...the Canadians are going to cancel the virus! (I stole this from twitter )

[Haggis for Breakfast]

21. That virus has a nerve, doesn't it ??

Cancelling hockey ? WTF ?!?!

[Trueblue Texan]

12. Well, that's Canada...

They actually believe in science there. And can you believe they'd rely on it to address this calamity? Pshaw!

[bdamomma]

14. exactly

plus they have someone who is better than idiot boy.

Thank you Canada.

[WyattKansas]

15. But that is socialist medicine from a closed society!

Fox News: We'll wait for our supreme American healthcare system to find a better solution...

[SunSeeker]

16. The US used to be the one making breakthroughs, until we stopped funding science. nt

[BobTheSubgenius]

18. So many times, I'm reminded of the opening scene from The Newsroom.

One of the best segments in the history of television.

[Javaman]

19. while I hope somebody comes up with a vaccines, I really hope it's Canada and not us. :) nt