PinpointHealth.us has launched a new cost-effective wellness screening software, which is expected to help the staff to resume work at industries such as healthcare, construction, government, senior care and restaurants. The solution uses an adaptive algorithm, which is yet to receive patents, to screen people for Covid-19 symptoms instantly. It then links them to response-dependent resources.

Metabolic Insights has received a $300,000 grant from the Industrial Research Assistance Program of the National Research Council via its Innovative Solutions Canada Challenge Program. The company will use the funds for repurposing its existing salivary insulin technology for the detection of SARS-2-CoV (Covid-19) virus in saliva. The company will have to showcase a new prototype point-of-care test for Covid-19 in three months.

India’s Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR) and National Chemical Laboratory (NCL), known collaboratively is CSIR-NCL, have developed a nasopharyngeal swab to collect throat cavity samples from Covid-19 patients. Global supplies of these swabs have been unreliable due to supply chain delays, increasing prices and variable quality. CSIR flagged the need for domestic production of the swabs to NCL in mid-April.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has reissued some of the Emergency Use Authorisations (EUAs) to specify which respirators are suitable for decontamination. The organisation has decided that some respirators should not be decontaminated for reuse by health care personnel. The decision was based on its understanding of the respirator’s performance and design.