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Manitoba lifts most remaining COVID restrictions

U of M mask, vaccine policies continue

NEWS

Dimitar Tomovski, staff Manitoba has eliminated most COVID-19-related restrictions and health orders, with masks no longer required in public settings other than health care facilities.

However, the University of Manitoba is continuing its mask and vaccine mandate until at least the end of the 2022 winter term.

Vice-provost (teaching and learning) Mark Torchia said he hopes this sends a message that the university feels strongly about supporting its community’s health and safety.

“The university’s […] position is to continue to support the health and safety of the university community and we’re doing that by […] continuing the vaccination mandate and the masking mandate […] regardless of what the province has decided to change from a mandate to a recommendation,” said Torchia.

“I can tell you, we’ve received many positive responses from members across the university community indicating that they’re pleased that the university is continuing with its approach regardless of what the province has decided to do.”

Uzoma Asagwara, NDP MLA for Union Station, said the provincial government’s decision to drop mask and vaccine mandates was done to appease the anti-COVID restriction convoy and noted there was no modelling data provided to support the decision to drop mask and vaccine mandates at that time.

“I think Manitobans would have felt much more secure in the decision to drop the mandates if that decision was also announced with not only the information to substantiate that decision, but also with the government taking measures to make sure that Manitobans have what they need to protect themselves.”

Asagwara said some of these measures include providing Manitobans access to KN95 masks, PCR and rapid tests and information on how to know when one is eligible for COVID-19 treatment in a time-sensitive manner.

“The government really missed a huge opportunity to provide the public with important information and also the tools they need to continue to keep themselves safe as we’re still in this pandemic,” they said.

In a statement, Health Minister Audrey Gordon thanked health-care workers and ordinary Manitobans and said their “commitment, compassion and hard work” made lifting restrictions possible.

“This path forward will be different for all of us, whether we choose to wear masks or not, or how and when we connect with family and friends,” the statement read. “Let’s be patient, thoughtful and kind to each other as we navigate this new normal together.”

Asagwara said they think the university’s continuation of mask and vaccine mandates reflects the independence that universities have as well as their right to exercise decision-making freely.

“Where institutions like universities make the decision to keep mask protocols in place, to me that shows that they are doing what they can to keep people as healthy as possible,” Asagwara said.

“I certainly respect and appreciate that they’re doing what they need.”

photo / Mohammad Arsalan Saeed / staff

“We’ve received many positive responses from members across the university community indicating that they’re pleased that the university is continuing with its approach regardless of what the province has decided to do” — Mark Torchia, vice-provost (teaching and learning)

news@themanitoban.com

Five Days for the Homeless campaign returns to U of M

Greater focus on virtual events due to COVID-19

NEWS

Dimitar Tomovski, staff Resource Assistance for Youth (RaY)’s 5 Days for the Homeless campaign will take place from March 21 to 25.

Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, this year’s focus will be on virtual events and fundraising initiatives.

“We want to help address the complexity of youth homelessness,” said Amin Montazeri, the public relations director for the campaign.

This is the 15th year that the U of M has taken part in the 5 Days for the Homeless events.

“Basically, the Asper [school of business] has been a partner with RaY [for] more than a dozen years now,” said Montazeri.

“The partnership allows for students to engage and gain insight in youth homelessness.” resources it offers through community engagement between students and volunteers as well as through the support of sponsors and corporate relations.

“The premise and […] mission statement is basically providing shelter, providing resources for growth and development and […] a safe haven for youth that are facing trauma or abuse [or] circumstances that push them to the fringes,” said Montazeri.

In addition to food and shelter, RaY also aids people in developing skills, resumé building and establishing an address for people to be reached at when pursuing a career or higher education.

“RaY acts as that kind of bridge in […] allowing youth to develop themselves,” Montazeri said.

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, the campaign was usually able to raise a substantial amount of money. In previous years, the focus of the campaign would involve a group of U of M students spending the “5 Days” living outside.

“Much of the donations came during the week of the 5 Days when we were sleeping outside, interacting with people and […] it really helped in that aspect of relaying the stories that we heard from RaY patrons to the students passing by.”

Although the COVID-19 pandemic has made it more difficult to raise the same levels of donations, with the vaccine rollout, Montazeri anticipates this year will not be as difficult as 2021.

There has been more of a push for its promotion through some in-person activities this year, including a pool tournament as well as a trivia night at Across the Board Game Café. From March 20 to 25, there will be booths promoting 5 Days for the Homeless on campus.

Montazeri said those who visit the booths will “get to engage and talk with committee members and the 5 Days committee this year, past sleepers and current volunteers.” The funds raised will be used for educational purposes.

photo / Mohammad Arsalan Saeed / staff “There’s an education stream [as well as] skills and fundamental workshops will help youth from whatever age they might be in different categories from sustainability to cooking to resumé workshops to [the] kinds of skills that would help them in the professional field,” Montazeri said.

For more information and to donate to the cause, individuals can visit 5daysum.ca. Information can also be found on the campaign’s Instagram, Twitter and Facebook pages.

Communication, not competition, is at the heart of 3MT

Past 3MT winner encourages grad students to share their research

RESEARCH & TECHNOLOGY

Michael Campbell, staff On April 7, 12 finalists in the Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition will face off to determine the who will advance to the first in-person western regional competition since 2019. For graduate students in a thesisbased program, the 3MT competition may be an opportunity to showcase original research for the first time and help students gain confidence as researchers.

For Nolan De Leon, winner of the 2021 Dr. Archie McNicol Prize firstplace at the University of Manitoba’s 3MT competition, taking part in the competition was an important first step toward pursuing both a doctoral degree and a medical degree concurrently. After De Leon’s success at the 3MT competition, he decided to transfer his credits and transition into a PhD program, continuing the same winning research project he presented in 2021.

De Leon’s thesis project aims at early detection of prenatal abnormalities by examining the genetic makeup of the fetus. Specifically, De Leon wants to develop a reliable detection strategy for congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH), a condition where the fetus’ abdominal organs herniate through a small hole in their diaphragm and push up against their lungs.

In De Leon’s 3MT presentation, he tells the story of an expecting family that only finds out their child has CDH after an ultrasound reveals the condition is too far gone for effective treatment.

“I am going to change that,” De Leon said.

“What if your doctor could put your worries at ease or prepare you for the worst with a more accurate test? The answer is in circular RNAs.”

An abundance or deficiency of circular ribonucleic acid is an indicator of CDH long before birth. By extracting amniotic fluid, amplifying and detecting levels of circular RNA, doctors may be able to diagnose and determine proper treatment for CDH more reliably. Moreover, it would prevent weeks of waiting for specialist diagnosis from an ultrasound, which can be painful for families to endure and cost precious time, preventing early treatment.

“My goal is to confirm the differences in circular RNA levels between the amniotic fluid of healthy babies and CDH babies with our new liquid biopsy,” De Leon said.

The 3MT competition proved De Leon could be a successful science communicator, which will serve him well as a researcher trying to communicate complex ideas to the public and as a future physician. “If you can understand science, but you can’t speak it to your patients, they’re going to leave the clinic stressed because they have no idea what you just told them,” De Leon said.

De Leon encourages graduate students to take the leap into the 3MT competition despite any anxieties about presenting. He suggested winning the competition should not be the ultimate goal — rather, students should practice their communication skills. These skills can pay dividends in applying for scholarships or writing papers for publication.

“If you’re thinking about doing it, just do it,” De Leon said.

“Take a step. I think, even in research, it’s all about taking a risk […] You can’t play it safe all the time to be comfortable.”

De Leon pushes himself out of his comfort zone in his extracurricular activities as well. In October 2021, De Leon lifted nearly 5,900 kilograms in one hour through Turkish get-ups, breaking the Guinness world record. He took on the challenge in a campaign to raise money for the Mood Disorders Association of Manitoba. In total, his campaign raised over $3,000 for mental health.

De Leon knows firsthand the stressors facing the 3MT finalists and graduate students more generally. He wanted to add his support to all students doing great research.

“I want to say to all the 3MT competitors, your research is amazing — you guys are amazing and everything that you’re doing has the potential to bring a positive change in the world,” De Leon said.

“So, even though everything has been doom and gloom for the past two years, there are good people, there are good things happening and we’re needing to remember that.”

/ provided Nolan De Leon photo /

“If you can understand science, but you can’t speak it to your patients, they’re going to leave the clinic stressed because they have no idea what you just told them”

— Nolan De Leon, PhD student

“I want to say to all the 3MT competitors, your research is amazing — you guys are amazing and everything that you’re doing has the potential to bring a positive change in the world”