WELL Health Launches Direct-to-Consumer COVID-19 Antibody Tests in Ontario via Tia Health
VANCOUVER, BC and TORONTO, Dec. 3, 2020 /CNW/ - WELL Health Technologies Corp. (TSX: WELL) ("WELL" or the "Company"), is pleased to announce that:
- WELL has launched a direct-to-consumer online service for the sale and support of COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) Antibody Tests in the Province of Ontario.
- Eligible patients can obtain a doctor's requisition for the Antibody test via Tia Health on a 24/7 basis, for $70 per test.
- Once a requisition is obtained the patient will be able to have their sample collected at a leading national medical laboratory and diagnostics company and can access the results online.
WELL via its Tia Health subsidiary, has partnered with a leading national medical laboratory to provide eligible patients with online medical consultations and requisitions for COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) Antibody Testing. Through its partner, WELL is offering a highly accurate(1) blood test to provide information on the SARS-CoV-2 immune response in previously diagnosed patients and to help identify individuals who have been exposed to the virus but not diagnosed with molecular testing. Such tests are available with a doctor's requisition and determine the presence of COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) antibodies in a patient's blood.
"We are very pleased to be providing this Health Canada approved Antibody Test," said Dr. Michael Frankel, Chief Medical Officer of WELL. "We believe these approved COVID-19 Antibody Testing procedures offer great accuracy in detecting the presence of antibodies related to COVID-19. In some cases, patients may not have been officially diagnosed but would be interested in knowing if they have been exposed to the virus and that they have antibodies."
Speaking directly with a Tia Health doctor by phone, video, or secure messaging from the comfort and safety of your home, patients can connect to a physician of their choice at a time that fits their schedule. Eligible asymptomatic patients who receive a requisition for the COVID-19 Antibody Test only need to visit one of the many participating collection sites to have their blood sample collected and can access results online. Test results are normally available within 3 to 5 days while patients who are booked for travel can receive their rapid results within 48 hours. These tests are currently only available for Ontario residents and can be purchased directly from Tia Health for a fee of $70 CAD by visiting:
https://tiahealth.com/covid-antibody-test.html
"We are very pleased to be one of the first healthcare companies to provide easy, accurate and affordable access to COVID-19 Antibody tests," said Matthew Mazzuca, CEO of Tia Health. "The service is live now and eligible patients can obtain their tests quickly by obtaining a doctor's requisition from Tia Health. If you believe you may have had a previous undetected infection, please speak to one of our physicians to find out if you are eligible for the test."
Footnote:
(1) This test can be done 14 days or more after an active infection. A positive antibody test result may indicate previous or current exposure to an illness but should NOT be used to infer immunity status or infectivity. It is unknown whether COVID-19 antibodies indicate protective immunity and for how long.
WELL HEALTH TECHNOLOGIES CORP.
Per: "Hamed Shahbazi"
Hamed Shahbazi
Chief Executive Officer, Chairman and Director
About WELL Health Technologies Corp.
WELL is an omni-channel digital health company whose overarching objective is to empower doctors to provide the best and most advanced care possible while leveraging the latest trends in digital health. As such, WELL owns and operates 20 primary healthcare clinics, operates one of Canada's leading digital Electronic Medical Records (EMR) programs serving over 2,000 medical clinics, operates a leading national telehealth service and is a provider of digital health, billing and cybersecurity related technology solutions. WELL is an acquisitive company that follows a disciplined and accretive capital allocation strategy. WELL is publicly traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol "WELL". To access the Company's telehealth service, visit: virtualclinics.ca or tiahealth.com, and for corporate information, visit: www.well.company.
Notice Regarding Forward Looking Statements
This news release may contain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws, including, without limitation: the expectation that WELL will expand the antibody test availability to other provinces in the near future; the belief that the presence of antibodies may provide protection against re-infection for a period of time; and the belief that testing offers accuracy in detecting and confirming COVID-19 asymptomatic cases. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by management, are inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties, and contingencies. These statements generally can be identified by the use of forward-looking words such as "may", "should", "could", "would", "intend", "estimate", "plan", "anticipate", "expect", "believe", "working on" or "continue", or the negative thereof or similar variations. There are numerous risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results and WELL's plans and objectives to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking information, including legislative and regulatory barriers to expanding into new markets; changes in data, science, medical practices and genetic mutations that relate to COVID-19; and the risks outlined in WELL's publicly filed documents available on SEDAR. Actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such information. These and all subsequent written and oral forward-looking information are based on estimates and opinions of management on the dates they are made and are expressly qualified in their entirety by this notice. Except as required by law, the Company does not intend to update these forward-looking statements.
Neither the Toronto Stock Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the Toronto Stock Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
SOURCE WELL Health Technologies Corp.
Pardeep S. Sangha, VP Corporate Strategy and Investor Relations, [email protected], 604-572-6392
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