Health committee  My understanding of the data that's emerging, for example from the study in the States on remdesivir, is that it's okay. It has some efficacy, but certainly, what we know from other viral infections is that, with a single agent as an antiviral, often even with some efficacy, the

Health committee  There have been some studies that have looked at that, and there are certainly some studies now looking at patients who were infected with the original SARS, so SARS-CoV-1. Again, in those studies the immunity lasts really only for two to three years, so even though there are pot

Health committee  Certainly at the level of being a vice-president of research, we've had many conversations with the U15 and with Dr. Mona Nemer about the need for a strategy across Canada, a strategy for big science, to fund and have a strategy for infrastructure so that it's not relying on thes

Health committee  Yes, and coordinated, coordinated as a Canadian strategy and not just centred on who has the loudest voice and what university can get there first, but a coordinated strategy.

Health committee  It's a fascinating field because you have to look at both the evolution of the virus, but also the evolution of the immune response against the virus. In many cases it is that back-and-forth evolution. We know quite a bit from the original SARS as well about which receptors on t

Health committee  We're really interested in understanding the pathogenesis of this virus, so we're starting to learn what cell types the virus can actually enter in and replicate in—what cells are permissive. We're looking at immune cells in particular, so we're starting to understand a lot about

Health committee  Aside from many of our researchers now putting their findings online before or during the process of peer review, there are now many mechanisms to put your research online. McMaster has also signed an open COVID IP pledge, which will say that for any findings that we find, the in

Health committee  Absolutely.

Health committee  One mechanism that has become very useful is the CanCOVID platform. It's a platform that is now linking all COVID-based researchers in a number of different areas. It's very expensive to maintain. I know there have been discussions about having the government help fund initiative

Health committee  We are very fortunate that we have really strong collaborators, especially within Ontario and within Canada. Even at the initial phases, when COVID first started in Toronto and we were working with Sunnybrook to isolate the virus, it was a very natural and very quick collaboratio

Health committee  We have been working with a number of local companies that have a variety of different devices that they would like tested for the ability to sterilize and reuse N95 masks, because we all recognize that they are in short supply. We have set up the ability to have our engineering

Health committee  That's correct.

Health committee  Thank you, Mr. Chair. I would like to thank you all for inviting my colleague and me to appear today to discuss Canada's response to COVID-19. My name is Dr. Karen Mossman and I am the acting vice-president, research, at McMaster University. I am also a professor in pathology and