Patients in Niagara are participating in clinical trials of COVID-19 drugs and treatments

COVID-19 patients being treated at Niagara Health hospitals are participating in clinical trials related to the virus. 

The trials are evaluating the safety of some drugs and treatments, as well as whether certain strategies could reduce someone's need for ventilation or admission to hospital. 

A statement from Niagara Health says that community hospitals in Canada have cared for about 75 per cent of COVID-19 patients. But most hospitals don't have programs in place to conduct research on the virus, it said, with most medical research historically taking place in "academic hospitals in larger centres."

"The discrepancy between where COVID-19 patients receive care and where COVID-19 research is conducted resulted in slow patient recruitment to urgent COVID-19 clinical trials in Canada," said Dr. Jennifer Tsang, a Niagara Health intensivist and research lead.

Here's a breakdown of four trials happening from the release:

The CATCO study evaluates the safety of ritonavir/lopinavir (kaletra), used to treat HIV, and remdesivir, developed to treat Ebola, in hospitalized patients. It's being conducted in conjunction with the World Health Organization's Solidarity trial, says the release, which is one of the largest international trials for COVID-19 treatments.

The REMAP-CAP Study looks at the clinical effectiveness and safety of various COVID-19 treatments in patients who are in the Intensive Care Unit, including the use of corticosteroid.

The COVI-Prone study is examining the benefits of COVID-19 patients with respiratory failure lying on their stomachs, and whether this reduces the need for mechanical ventilation.

The Anti-Coronavirus Therapies to prevent progression of COVID-19 trial is studying whether treatment with certain medicines can prevent the need to be admitted to the hospital or ICU. 

Hamilton

There are 42 new cases of COVID-19 in Hamilton. Two more people, both in their 80s, have died, bringing deaths to 281. 

Hamilton has seen 10,247 confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19, of which 376 are active and 9,439 are resolved. 

The weekly rate of new cases per 100,000 population continues to rise and sits at 55. 

The outbreak on the fifth floor of St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton's Satellite Health Facility has been declared over. There were five healthcare workers and 15 patients infected as part of the outbreak, which started on Feb. 3. 

Two people died. 

The floor will open to admissions this week after being closed to both admissions and visitors since the start of the outbreak, says St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton (SJHH.) 

Visiting will resume March 1. 

The outbreaks at Wentworth Lodge and Domino's Pizza have also been declared over. Wentworth Lodge had one staff member infected, Domino's had three staff members infected. 

Here are the new outbreaks, as of Wednesday:

• Two staff have tested positive at August 8 on Wilson Street.

• One staff has tested positive at Amica Stoney Creek.

• Four staff have tested positive at Barbara Caffe Ristorante.

One more staff member at Salvation Army, located at 94 York Boulevard, has tested positive. That brings the total number of people infected to 29. A staff member at I.H. Mission Services also tested positive, bringing its outbreak to seven people.

There are now three cases linked to the Umbrella Family and Child Centres of Hamilton: Before and After School Program at Cathy Wever Elementary School. 

Brant

The county of Brant recorded eight new cases in the last 24 hours. There are 46 active cases in the county, according to data online. 

There have been 1,450 cases since March 2020 and 12 deaths. No one is currently hospitalized with COVID-19.

A total of 1,392 cases have been marked as resolved.

There have been 6,989 doses of the vaccine administered. 

Haldimand-Norfolk

The counties of Haldimand and Norfolk have recorded 1,410 cases throughout the pandemic. There are 26 active cases.

There have been 39 deaths that are considered COVID-related, and 1,340 people who have recovered. 

There have been 4,514 doses of the vaccine administered. 

Niagara

Niagara reported 13 new cases of the virus on Wednesday. There have been 369 people who have died in the region.

The region has seen 8,514 cases over the course of the pandemic, including 256 that are active and 7,889 that are resolved.

There have been 9,729 doses of the vaccine administered in Niagara. 

Halton

Halton region is starting to report the number of COVID-19 cases that have "screened positive" for the variant in its online database, as well as cases that have been officially confirmed.

There are 37 cases that have screened positive and eight that have been confirmed as a variant. Six of the screened cases and two of the confirmed variant cases are in Burlington. 

The number of COVID-19 cases in Halton rose by 37 on Wednesday for a total of 9,321 so far.

Data indicates 221 of those cases are active and 8,906 are resolved.

Six of the new cases were in Burlington, which has seen 2,387 cases of COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic. There are 30 active cases in the city. 

Three more people in the region have died after being infected with the virus. There have been 194 deaths, of which 49 were in Burlington. 

As of Friday, 23,934 doses of the vaccine had been administered across the region. 

In a media release on Tuesday, Halton Region said it was ready to open vaccination clinics for prioritized populations once the federal government secures vaccine supplies. 

Clinics are located in each Halton municipality. The one in Burlington is planned for Compass Point Bible Church at 1500 Kerns Road. The region says other clinics may be identified as required.

The clinics aren't open yet, and will first address priority populations identified by the province. They will start with adults of 80 years of age and older.

Six Nations

Six Nations of the Grand River has recorded 29 active cases of COVID-19 as of Feb. 24. In the last seven days, there have been 20 new cases. There have been 264 total cases, and 232 are resolved. Three people have died. 

Six Nations of the Grand River is currently in the Alert level Black of its colour-coded framework.