An old ebola drug being tested as a treatment for COVID-19 is capable of tricking the virus responsible for the deadly respiratory disease, a new University of Alberta study suggests.  The drug remdesivir is capable of halting the coronavirus from replicating, according to new research published Monday in the Journal of Biological Chemistry. The study,…

After taking a break over the Easter weekend, Alberta’s chief medical health officer will resume her daily updates on COVID-19 at a Monday afternoon news conference. Dr. Deena Hinshaw will deliver her update at 3:30 p.m. MT. You can watch it here live. As of Sunday, there have been 1,651 confirmed cases of COVID-19, including…

An Alberta study is setting up a clinical trial to investigate if the drug hydroxychloroquine can prevent worsening symptoms — and eventual hospitalization — for people with other health complications who have contracted the coronavirus. Hydroxychloroquine, developed originally as an anti-malarial drug but currently used for immunological disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis and lupus, is currently the…

Alberta cosplayers who masquerade as Hollywood’s most famous gang of ghost catchers are setting down their proton packs to help in the fight against COVID-19. The volunteers with Alberta Ghostbusters may not be able to help if there’s something strange in your neighbourhood, but the movie fans are making their mark in a different way.   They’re…

Sometimes the show can’t go on. For the first time in its 39-year history, the Edmonton International Fringe Theatre Festival has been cancelled. Organizers say the street theatre festival will not go ahead as planned due to the ongoing pandemic. Self-isolation and restrictions make it impossible for theatre groups to rehearse and prepare new material leading up…

The union representing some workers at a meat packing plant south of Calgary is calling for the facility to be closed for two weeks over fears of COVID-19. The Cargill plant in High River — about 60 kilometres south of Calgary — has roughly 2,000 workers, and the union said it could be hit hard by the…