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His colleague Dr. Darryl Falzarano has successfully extracted COVID-19 from a biological sample, Gerdts said. Falzarano has given a test vaccine to ferrets, whose lung pathology is believed to be adequately similar to humans, although the search for an ideal animal test subject is still ongoing.

Photo by Liam Richards / Saskatoon StarPhoenix

Those ferrets will be infected with the virus in the weeks to come and their symptoms — if they have any — will be studied for future tests. Gerdts estimated it will take at least a year to find a vaccine.

The team is also collaborating with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency to determine if common livestock like chickens or pigs could catch the virus and thus act as vectors to spread it.

COVID-19 is a coronavirus, like SARS or MERS, that is believed to spread primarily via droplets of saliva or other fluids from infected people. Early tests indicate it is more deadly than the flu but slightly less transmissible.

While there are no confirmed COVID-19 cases in Saskatchewan and the overall number of cases in Canada remains relatively low, global health officials are increasingly warning of the potential for the virus to spread.

Schools in Saskatchewan have cancelled trips to other countries out of concern. Some Saskatchewan people — including a couple from Weyburn whose cruise ship was believed to have a case on board — have been asked to self-quarantine. Canada’s medical health officer has warned that schools and other institutions may have to be closed if more cases present themselves.