PlantForm, a biopharmaceutical company, recently announced it was developing one of the first Canadian tests to determine if patients are immune to COVID-19. While many COVID-19 tests simply determine if someone has been exposed to the virus, this step is key in determining if patients are able to return to the workforce without risk of infecting others or re-contracting the virus.
“I saw a report in the last couple of days that there were some recovered patients in China who are now showing signs of the virus again, so it’s very important to have a test that knows if it is safe to go back,” said PlantForm CEO Don Stewart. “We’re trying to develop that test and increase the comfort level for people going back into the workforce and back into their communities.”
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What's Driving This Trend
- Immunity Testing
- The development of immunity testing kits helps to determine if individuals are immune to COVID-19.
- Workforce Safety
- The increasing need for testing kits that can assess if individuals pose a risk of infecting others or re-contracting the virus, ensuring workforce safety.
- Continuous Monitoring
- The demand for ongoing testing to monitor if individuals remain immune to COVID-19 and prevent potential outbreaks.
Who This Affects Most
- Biopharmaceutical
- Biopharmaceutical companies have an opportunity to develop advanced immunity testing kits and contribute to public health and safety.
- Healthcare
- The healthcare industry can leverage immunity testing kits in order to assess patients' immunity levels and make informed decisions regarding workforce reintegration.
- Employment Services
- Employment service providers can offer immunity testing as a value-added service to help individuals safely return to work and comply with safety regulations.
