Sunnybrook has been at the global forefront of the COVID-19 pandemic since the first Canadian case was identified. Our clinical response was immediate, but crucially, so was our research response. Drs. Samira Mubareka and Robert Kozak have led Sunnybrook’s research response efforts since the earliest days of the pandemic. Their work has been globally significant, leading to early implementation of a hospital-based COVID-19 test. That test now serves at least six major hospitals and their associated assessment centres, including Sunnybrook.
Our team has also established the foundation for a viral genomics research program that has already made important contributions to COVID-19 analysis. Most crucially, on March 10, 2020, Sunnybrook scientists isolated severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the agent responsible for the ongoing outbreak of COVID-19. Thanks to nimble collaboration, our team was able to culture the virus from two clinical specimens in a Level 3 containment facility.
How you can help:
Sunnybrook is seeking dedicated funding to launch a focused, collaborative COVID-19 research response program. Your support for this extremely time-sensitive research at Sunnybrook will be put to work immediately toward our human and operational funding needs to rapidly accelerate research into COVID-19. Now is the time to dedicate as many resources as possible to stopping the spread of this highly contagious virus. The lives of countless vulnerable people, in our communities and globally, depend on it. Your support will have a direct impact on patients at Sunnybrook, across Canada and around the world.