(Image via SQI Diagnostics Inc.) Restrictions and mandates may be easing, but the COVID-19 pandemic is not over. 
While travel testing has been retired across the globe, new variants continue to emerge.
The World Health Organization recently reported that a hybrid of two omicron strains that was first detected in the UK — BA.1 and BA.2 — dubbed XE, could be the most transmissible variant yet.
XE is estimated to spread 10% more quickly than BA.2, which itself was more transmissible than the original Omicron, which was notorious for how easily it spread, according to recent news from
Bloomberg. China is experiencing its biggest outbreak since Wuhan, authorities say these subvariants don’t match existing sequences. Are they one-off events or a sign of problems ahead?
A combination of a low uptake in the 3rd vaccination shot, with the 4th shot looking to be even less accepted among the masses, means immunity could be waning.
It appears as though public health agencies were “hoping for the best” when they recently lifted their guidance and eased its rules on protecting the public against COVID. The amount of Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) testing has also drastically declined of late, which led to a serious reduction in public funding, as leaders at both Canada’s federal and provincial level appear to have reduced their attention on the matter. A premature move?
The only tool left to manage this next wave of the pandemic is testing.
SQI Diagnostics Inc. (TSX-V: SQD, OTCQB: SQIDF, Forum) develops and manufactures respiratory health and precision medicine tests that run on its automated systems and a range of COVID-19 tests that run on point of need (rt-PCR) and point of care (rapid antigen) testing systems.
SQI’s tests simplify and improve COVID19 antibody monitoring, Rapid Acute Lung Injury testing, donor organ transplant informatics, and immunological protein and antibody testing. Its business involves in commercializing its developmental COVID-19 antibody test kit, and the RALI-Dx and RALI-fast Point-of-Care tests to triage COVID-19 patients for respiratory distress.
Investors should care about this for several reasons; chief among them is the fact that waning vaccinations and uptake of boosters leaves people at risk – infection and immunity status monitoring is the best first line of defence as the Public Health Agencies have proven in the first 5 waves of the COVID-19 Pandemic.
Mortality will rise as immunity drops off. Morbidity and long COVID will affect a large percentage of the population and most affect profits – vaccinated people will lose roughly a week of work (more if you are required to be physically active) and will have a more dramatic effect on unvaccinated and “under” vaccinated people (one shot, one year ago is not considered enough protection).
The economic impact of the virus continues to cause lost time from work. Industries from mining, manufacturing, to food production have all been hit hard by the virus.
For example, the
BBC reported that with the Easter weekend being the first holiday for many since the end of COVID travel restrictions, many travellers are seeing their vacations delayed or cancelled outright as British Airways and EasyJet ground flights in London due to COVID-related absences, on top of 74 services previously withdrawn. Airports currently do not have enough staff to meet the recovery in demand.
In under-vaccinated populations (such as rural areas across Canada), viruses spread the fastest.
The
CBC also reported that, as hospitalizations recently climbed past the 1,000 mark for the first time since February, Ontarians aged 60 or over will soon be able to get a fourth dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. Hospitalization rates are a lagging indicator by about two to three weeks.
SQI Diagnostics’ team of leading medical professionals have determined these factors will likely lead to another COVID wave in the fall.
For more on this company, visit
sqidiagnostics.com or contact us at
sales@sqidiagnostics.com or ir@sqidiagnsotics.com
FULL DISCLOSURE: This is a paid article produced by Stockhouse Publishing.