Second test for coronavirus in Sask. negative

Saskatchewan remains free of the coronavirus after a second test came back negative.

Public health officials are still waiting for the results of tests on three other Saskatchewan residents.

The illness has killed 170 in China and sickened thousands more in that country and others.

While tests are being done, the province’s chief medical health officer, Dr. Saqib Shahab, told Gormley on Thursday the risk of contracting the illness remains low.

“But we are being extra-vigilant. If you have travelled from China and have just a dry cough, no fever, call public health and have that discussion,” Shahab said.

“At this point there is no concern passing through airports. It’s only if you have travelled from China or (have been) in close contact of a person with respiratory symptoms and who had travelled from China.”

Shahab said proper hand-washing and sneezing into your elbow are good practices during cold and flu and season.

Scientists continue work on vaccine

Work on finding a vaccine is still underway in Saskatoon.

Dr. Volker Gerdts, CEO of VIDO Intervac, told Gormley that progress is coming along well.

“(We’re) hoping to be able to test it in animals in a few weeks already,” he said.

The speed in development is due to a few reasons. For one, VIDO Intervac collaborates with labs around the world.

“Our Chinese colleagues, early in January, released the sequence of this virus … so literally, within 24 hours we had our vaccine candidates designed,” Gerdts said.

“It’s not a race (and) it’s not a competition. It’s trying to work together towards a solution.”

Gerdts is also experienced with coronaviruses in general. His team has designed vaccines for strains that attack both cows and pigs in the past.

Those vaccines took around 18 months to be ready for use.