KAWARTHA LAKES-Michael Bryant is what some people would call a serial entrepreneur. He’s spent much of his life finding gaps and filling them, whether it be rural transportation in the Kawarthas, promoting agri-tourism or rescuing horses. Now he’s developed a product that could help other entrepreneurs keep their doors open during the pandemic.
The company is called Virocule Inc. Yesterday they announced that the company has received authorization from Health Canada for the sale of its ANOSMICTMCOVID-19 Smell Tester. It’s the first and only authorized Class 1 medical device that can screen subjects at home on regular basis to control the spread of coronavirus, according to Bryant.
“I am truly very excited.” Bryant told Kawartha 411 News, “Mostly to help people and save some lives in our community and anywhere I can.”
According to Scientific American, sudden loss or deterioration of smell is a common and early symptom of people suffering a COVID-19 infection. Recent studies indicate that over 80% of people have smell disturbances.
ANOSMIC is a spray engineered from a combination of ingredients to produce a characteristic odor. The subject inhales and records the intensity of smell on regular basis. If there is sudden loss or deterioration of smell, you are advised to seek medical attention and obtain a confirmatory test.
Chief Scientific Officer, Dr. Deven Sandhu, said “In clinical studies with 211 participants, ANOSMICTMwas shown to have high accuracy of over 90% in screening for a COVID-19 infection. Research by others has shown that smell loss is a much more specific indicator of a COVID-19 infection than elevated temperature/fever. The nasal passage is a principal gateway for the coronavirus to enter the body. That may be a reason why loss of smell may be an early indicator of an infection.”
Globally the COVID-19 virus has infected over 67 million, killing over 1.5 million patients in 191 countries. Specially, the COVID-19 virus has infected over 425,000 and caused 12,787 Canadian deaths.
Current tests available for detecting the virus cantake days to give results and are cost prohibitive to the average person or small business. Bryant who is the President of Virocule Inc, notes, “In the absence of a practical daily screening system, many businesses have had to shut down or operate with limited staff for fear of triggering “super spreader” events. Millions have lost their jobs and livelihood. With the holidays approaching, there is serious concern that close family and friends may see increased infection rates if they socialize.”
He goes on to day “Anosmic is fast, cost effective, accurate and non invasive.”
According to Bryant, ANOSMIC has also been adopted by ETIO Public Health Consultants in its screening protocol for use in conjunction with its CovidGuardTM service for businesses. Dr. Nitin Mohan, a partner and noted epidemiologist, said
“…this test in combination with other screening tools will provide optimal screening coverage, allowing sectors of our societies to regain some level of pre-pandemic normalcy. Taking into account the Swiss cheese model of multi layered prevention in order to reduce virus transmission; the utilization of a rapid screening test is paramount in re-opening our societies in the safest and quickest way possible. As the pandemic continues to harm our economies and expose our most vulnerable communities to hardships that will result in downstream health consequences I feel that this test will provide governments, businesses and individuals the ability to protect themselves, their communities and regain normalcy to their disrupted lives.”
For more information on the product go to: https://www.virocule.com
