Ontario has approved deployment of non-accredited, skilled staff to assist with #COVID-19 testing in accredited labs.
@COVID_19_Canada can get staff (3000+ members in Ontario) to centres in <1 wk from time of request.
See thread
We are developing a rapid response template for #Ontario testing lab staff requests, so that labs can submit simple requests to receive list of candidates in their region.
#COVID-19 testing labs in other provinces, if your province has recently approved the use of non-accredited lab staff to assist w/ COVID-19 testing in accredited labs, please tell us, and let your colleagues know that @COVID_19_Canada has 5000+ scientist members who can help.
For those interested in helping w/ #Ontario#COVID-19 testing, here are core skills that are needed:
--min M.Sc., 3 years wet lab experience
--current BSL2 training, experience working w/ human or infectious samples
--ability to learn new techniques quickly
--meticulous attention to detail & record-keeping
--accurate pipetting (especially multi-channel)
--RT-PCR (reverse transcription + real-time)
--very strong ability to work in groups, switch tasks quickly
Helpful experience:
--diagnostic lab setting (research or clinical)
--handling large sample sets
--automated sample handling platforms
--patient data privacy training/experience
Other:
ability to walk, bike or drive to local testing labs
For summary info about volunteer scientists who have signed up to help w/ #COVID-19 response (many who many be interested in work contracts), see here:
Please DON'T contact testing labs directly. They are absolutely overwhelmed. If you want to help out w/ testing & have appropriate skills, please sign up below.
We don't know yet whether labs will needs FT staff, volunteers etc. Expect some chaos.
#Canadian PIs, we may need help w/ rapid reference checking for candidate #COVID-19 testing lab staff originating in academia. If you can help w/ this, please sign up to volunteer at the link above. We may require help evenings/weekends.
4. When we receive a request, we work w/ the requesting org to identify their requirements (e.g. RT-PCR, liquid handling platforms, bioinformatics skills, health data)
5. We identify candidates in our database living in the appropriate region who fit these needs, and set up additional automated screening form if needed for skills not listed in our database.
6. We contact all candidates who meet these criteria, ask them to indicate if they're interested (opt-in), and ask them to provide any additional required info + CV
7. We send the final list of candidates + CVs to org requesting volunteers/staff
8. In an emergency & if the org needs it, we may ask academic personnel (i.e. PIs) to help vet candidates by contacting references, but so far every org has opted to have HR folk do this. We try not to do this unless it's truly urgent so we don't slow down our core activities.
9. Again, if anyone out there knows if non-accredited research/lab folk have been approved to assist w/ #COVID-19 testing in accredited testing labs in regions in addition to #Ontario, please let us know so that @COVID_19_Canada can reach these centres & get candidates signed up.
If you know an org/initiative/group that needs volunteers to help w/ #COVID-19 2nd wave responses (scientific & non-scientific), please request volunteers here: covid19resources.ca/requestvolunte…
People have been asking about accounts to follow for H5N1 info.
Here are accounts that provide excellent, fast, thorough and judicious reporting and H5N1 discussions on Twitter geared toward people who are not technical experts
The wonderful @MackayIM is still here, but his account is now closed.
@HelenBranswell @Laurie_Garrett @DelthiaRicks @weese_scott @deonandan @NGrandvaux @ProMED_mail @MackayIM These are just a few people whose accounts I keep an eye on regularly to help me catch up/point me toward emerging info--they often share other good info and discussions.
The Forecast score is the lowest it's been since the start of Omicron. About 1 in 47 people in Canada is currently infected. Forecast scores are dropping 7%/week for Canada (-15 to +3%/week for all regions).
The first was my dad, who was firy and irascible and generous and thoughtful and sad. But who enjoyed irony. And was a patriarchal type at times.
My mom and brothers and I would have sworn he'd never want to live as a disempowered version of himself.
But that wasn't true.
The deliria were truly, gut-wrenchingly awful. I slept in ERs beside him every few weeks. He bellowed, swung his cane at people and stripped off all his clothes to walk around the ER (all 6ft 300lb of him). He was frightened and frightened people.