Media section/ covid Immunity Passport Page Wondering if You Have Mounted a Sufficient Immune Response Post-Vaccine? First in North America Test Provides Vital Reassurance of Antibodies Specific to Variants of Concern Including the Delta Variant Toronto, Canada – Oct 27, 2021 – With news that COVID vaccine protection could be reduced amongst the immunocompromised and may wane within six months, vaccine boosters are now looking like they might be on the horizon for millions of Canadians who have been vaccinated against the coronavirus and that has many people wondering if they have enough antibodies to keep them safe given the different types of vaccines given and the mix-and-match protocols. It’s a compelling question given the rise of the Delta variant and its evolving sub-types which have been identified to carry a much higher rate of spread and risk of mortality and the fact that some Canadians still remain unvaccinated. Innovation Health Group (IHG), developers of Canada’s first Immunity Passport, are now offering antibodies testing that can give the kind of reassurance people are looking for as travel begins to open up and senior leaders are beginning to plan on bringing some of their staff back to a hybrid work environment. “It’s important for people to know that not all antibody tests are created equal,” says Dr. Elaine Chin, founder of Innovation Health Group. “The current vaccines are based on the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein so it’s crucial any antibodies test done post-vaccine be the right one and measure antibodies against the spike protein and that is what we are offering. Antibodies tests developed early in the pandemic measure only for an immune response against the nucleocapsid portion of the complete viral infection and not the spike protein portion of the virus.” Early in the pandemic, a number of serum and rapid antibodies tests were developed that looked for antibodies called the nucleocapsid, or N protein. At the time, this made sense because after infection, those antibodies were plentiful in the blood. But the vaccines that Canadians have been getting provoke antibodies to the S-protein only that sits on the surface of the virus known as the spike. For Immediate Release “Many people mistakenly believe the pandemic will be over with the Delta variant, but new variants will keep on coming and vaccines are in our future,” says Dr. Hans Frykman, director of Immusafe at the BC Neuroimmunology Lab at the University of British Columbia. “What we are doing is measuring protein interaction so we get a dynamic, ongoing constant measurement over time versus other instruments that just give one time point. It’s the gold standard method to understanding if you have a functioning immune system and it can predict the risk of breakthrough infection by measuring your immune response and its interaction with the SARS CoV2 virus and its variants.” “The quality of this test, and its sensitivity and specificity are key to determining if your immune system has mounted a robust response against the SARS CoV-2 virus spike protein and our laboratory partner’s Immusafe next generation platform for S-protein antibodies detection has shown to be both highly sensitive (100%) and specific (99%)” says Dr. Chin. covidimmunitypassport.com https://covidimmunitypassport.com/ Order online at: The IHG self-test kit for COVID-19 antibodies, will tell people if their immune system responded well, confirm the binding strength or avidity through neutralization testing of their antibodies to the virus, ensure there is a high enough quantity of immunoglobulin, and most importantly, determine whether the antibodies mounted will work against the new variant strains. “While it’s true vaccines provoke a good antibody response in virtually everyone, this test is particularly important for the elderly, and the millions of people with weak immune systems or who take medications that suppress their immune system since they don’t produce a sufficient antibody response after vaccination,” says Dr. Chin. “It’s not enough to just trust and assume that the vaccines work well for each person. This information will tell you if you are protected against the active strains of the virus which could potentially be very important for hospitalization risk as the pandemic evolves.” After ordering their self-test kits at www.covidimmunitypassport.com Canadians can collect and ship their sample to Executive Health Centre where Dr. Elaine Chin, the requisitioning physician partner will ship your sample to Immusafe, IHG’s accredited laboratory partner in British Columbia. Results are uploaded in IHG’s Immunity Passport App. “Many organizations are evaluating the future of work, including how hybrid work arrangements might be deployed. This test is a game changer in putting crucial information into the hands of business leaders, enabling them to determine who is well enough to come into the office, and who can travel safely for business” says Piero Fusco, IHG’s Chief Commercial Officer. “It also helps arm people with information about whether they are protected against future variants of concern like the new Delta subsets, giving them, their family and their colleagues peace of mind and the assurance they have optimal antibodies against COVID-19, something everyone will find invaluable as we look to get back to normal and find ways to enjoy life again.” About Innovation Health Group Innovation Health Group works with organizations across North America, leveraging the power of diagnostics and precision medicine to create proactive health action plans that strengthen physical and mental stamina. Visit: innovationhealthgroup.com https://innovationhealthgroup.com Learn more about IHG Media Relations: Jeff Silverstein Innovation Health Group 647-401-0507 | jeff.silverstein@innovationhealthgroup.com About Dr. Elaine Chin MD & MBA (University of Toronto). Thought leader. Health vanguard. Champion of wellness innovation. Dr. Chin is one of the world’s leading go-to physicians for Fortune 100 executives and a future-focused thought leader with hands-on experience in all life phases of health. Her practice focuses on personalized medicine, leveraging innovation in medical diagnostics and treatments to attain optimal well-being, promote longevity and alleviate the anxiety many of us have regarding our own health. Dr. Chin’s mission is to make personalized medicine accessible to all and help people