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The Province
5 hours ago
- Climate
- The Province
Peachland wildfire update: Evacuations underway for about 400 properties
The fire has forced the closure of Highway 97 between Peachland and West Kelowna Published Jul 30, 2025 • Last updated 2 hours ago • 3 minute read B.C. Highway 97 is closed in both directions between Peachland and the Highway 97C junction due to a wildfire. Photo by DriveB.C. PEACHLAND — Police are helping firefighters from several local departments evacuate residents from about 400 properties in the Peachland area due to a fast-moving wildfire. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Central Okanagan Emergency Operations issued a bulletin just after 5 p.m. Wednesday saying evacuations were underway. 'An evaluation of the situation is underway and specific details will be released as they are confirmed,' the agency said. 'Public safety and the safety of emergency response personnel are the primary concerns at this time.' Residents of properties east of Trepanier Bench Road, south of Highway 97C and north of Highway 97 should be prepared to be away from their homes for an 'extended period of time,' it said. Evacuees can temporarily report to the Peachland Community Centre, while a muster centre has been opened at Royal LePage Place in West Kelowna for those who cannot reach the other centre, the agency said. Essential reading for hockey fans who eat, sleep, Canucks, repeat. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. It said later in the day that the evacuation order would remain in place for about 48 hours and emergency personnel would reassess the situation in the morning. The fire is burning about two kilometres north of Peachland. It has forced the closure of Highway 97 between Peachland and West Kelowna, while Highway 97C, the Okanagan Connecter, is also closed from West Kelowna to 22 kilometres southeast of Merritt, the province's driver information system shows. The B.C. Wildfire Service website shows the so-called Drought Hill fire spanned 0.27 square kilometres, up from 0.12 square kilometres earlier Wednesday. While the estimated size of the fire increased, the service said the use of water and fire retardant had been 'effective at cooling fire behaviour.' 'The fire behaviour has decreased to rank two and rank three, meaning a low to moderate surface fire with open flame, occasional candling and a low to moderate rate of spread,' the service said in an update posted to its website. It said 18 firefighters were responding to the blaze with support from three helicopters and other aircraft. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Crews were using Okanagan Lake to pick up water to douse the flames, and the service has asked people on the lake to give the aircraft room. 'We are responding with initial attack crews, response officers, structure protection personnel and aerial support, including helicopters, tankers and skimmers,' the service said in a social media post. The wildfire service lists human activity as the suspected cause of the blaze. A photo posted to social media with a caption saying 'wildfire burning in Peachland, near Drought Hill,' shows a truck engulfed in flames parked near the side of a road. The B.C. government has said these types of evacuations happen when there is an immediate threat to public safety, and if the threat continues, a wider evacuation would be declared by local governments and First Nations. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. In addition to the roughly 400 properties under an evacuation order, Central Okanagan Emergency Operations issued an evacuation alert for about 225 other properties late Wednesday, with residents being warned to be ready to leave at a moment's notice. The Cantilever Bar wildfire burning south of Lytton has meanwhile been mapped at 4.6 square kilometres, up from the previous estimate of 1.5 square kilometres. The larger estimate came after the smoke cleared enough to allow aircraft to fly overhead and provide more accurate perimeter mapping, the wildfire service said. The Thompson-Nicola Regional District and three local First Nations have issued evacuation alerts due to the fire. The blaze is about 10 kilometres south of Lytton, a community devastated by fire in 2021, burning on the west side of the Fraser River. More than two dozen firefighters are responding to the blaze, where 'conditions are very dry and fuels are highly susceptible to ignition,' the wildfire service said. Read More Vancouver Canucks Columnists Celebrity News Vancouver Canucks
The Province
7 hours ago
- The Province
'Doing something she loved': Fundraiser launched for cyclist killed at Okanagan Granfondo
Ava Choy has been identified as the rider who was hit by a vehicle and killed during the large community cycling event Ava Choy in a photo from GoFundMe. She died in a cycling accident during the Okanagan Granfondo in Penticton on July 12, 2025. Ava Choy was 'doing something she loved — riding her bike amongst a community of cyclists who shared her passion' — when she was tragically hit and killed during the Okanagan GranFondo earlier this month. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Friends and family are remembering Choy's 'fire dragon' energy as they reach out for help with funeral expenses after her sudden death. Amanda Coutts, on behalf of the family, identified Choy as the victim of a fatal collision with a vehicle during the July 13 community ride through Penticton. Two other riders were sent to hospital with serious injuries. GranFondo executive director Jodi Cross referred questions about the crash to police but said the other two riders have been released from hospital and are recovering. Cross also confirmed that the driver involved wasn't a worker, volunteer or anyone involved in the cycling event. An obituary said Choy grew up in east Vancouver and has a degree from Simon Fraser University. It described her as a passionate fitness enthusiast including competing at the international level in kung fu from an early age. It said she and her brother, Dickson Choy, were members of a local cycling club. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Ava Choy was an avid fitness enthusiast with a deep connection to Hawaii, according to her family. Photo by GoFundMe Choy had worked with Vancouver Fire Rescue Services since 2015, after working as a lifeguard and swimming instructor with the City of Vancouver, and was an avid volunteer including serving as a crossing guard. Along with Dickson, she is survived by parents Tim and Monica Choy. On the GoFundMe page, Coutts said Choy 'had a deep love for being physically active, a soul drawn to the beauty and peace of Hawaii, and a heart committed to helping others through countless hours of volunteering.' 'Her determination, energy, and generosity touched so many lives. Ava was small in stature, but mighty in spirit. She was a 'fire dragon' through and through.' Coutts said all funds raised will go to Choy's family for funeral arrangements and associated expenses: 'Losing someone so suddenly not only brings emotional pain, but financial strain as we navigate this heartbreaking chapter.' Choy's obituary said a visitation open to all has been scheduled for Thursday, Aug. 7, from 6 to 8 p.m. at Glenhaven Memorial Chapel, 1835 East Hastings St., in Vancouver. The family funeral will be private, though a celebration of Choy's life may be held in future. Penticton RCMP Const. Kelly Brett said police aren't releasing any information about the crash while it remains under investigation. jruttle@ Read More Vancouver Canucks Columnists News Vancouver Whitecaps Vancouver Canucks
The Province
8 hours ago
- Business
- The Province
'That model is dead:' B.C. Premier, housing minister rebuff developers' request for foreign real estate investment
"We are not going back to the Wild West days of empty condos, and foreign investment racking up the prices," said B.C. Housing Minister Christine Boyle B.C. Premier David Eby. Photo by ETHAN CAIRNS / THE CANADIAN PRESS 'We are not going back,' Premier David Eby and Housing Minister Christine Boyle said Wednesday when asked separately about a push by large developers to get government to allow more foreign investment in real estate. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors In a letter Tuesday, some of the biggest names in B.C. real estate asked the federal government to reconsider its ban on foreign entities purchasing residential property in Canada, and for the B.C. government to reconsider its tax on foreign buyers. The letter is signed by heads of several major B.C. companies including prominent names like Polygon, Amacon, Westbank, Strand, Intracorp, Bonnis, Beedie, Mosaic, Pooni Group, and Cressey. It's addressed to Prime Minister Mark Carney, federal Housing Minister Gregor Robertson, Eby, Boyle and Jobs Minister Ravi Kahlon. The number of new housing starts in B.C. is of 'particular concern,' the letter says, citing a nearly 50 per cent drop in starts comparing March 2025 with March 2024. The letter argues that in light of the recent industry slowdown — which has already meant layoffs at some big real estate companies and some projects delayed — the federal government should revisit its prohibition on residential property purchases by non-Canadians, which took effect in 2023 and is in place until 2027. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The letter argues that foreign investors form an important part of the presale condo market, and without them, fewer projects will sell enough pre-construction units to get financing. 'Canada's ban on foreign ownership was designed to help curtail the nation's housing affordability crisis, but it has also negatively impacted overall investment into the new home industry,' the letter says. No one from the federal Housing Department was available for comment Wednesday. It sent an emailed statement, which didn't directly answer what the Canadian government will do about the foreign buyer ban but seemed to throw cold water on the developers' request. A neighbourhood of townhouses is seen in an aerial view in Richmond. Photo by DARRYL DYCK / THE CANADIAN PRESS By reducing the impact of foreign demand, the ban 'helps to ensure that those homes are used for Canadians to live in, not as a speculative asset class for foreign investors,' the ministry's response said. Essential reading for hockey fans who eat, sleep, Canucks, repeat. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Eby and Boyle were more direct. On Wednesday, Boyle said she wouldn't comment on what the federal government should do, 'but certainly here in B.C., we're not going to stop cracking down on speculation. We don't want to go back to the days when foreign investors were buying up empty condos and leaving neighbourhoods empty and pushing up the prices for people and families.' B.C.'s foreign buyer tax was created by the B.C. Liberals in 2016. Boyle said that even though the tax was created by her party's political rivals, the NDP has no plans to repeal it: 'I'm open to ideas from all over, and we're seeing it (the tax) make a difference.' B.C.'s foreign buyer tax revenues declined after the federal ban was implemented. But because Ottawa's ban includes some exemptions — such as larger buildings with four or more dwellings — the provincial tax is still expected to raise $40 million over the next fiscal year. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Boyle said her government will keep working with the private sector to get more housing built, citing changes to push municipalities to approve more housing and a recent deal that used federal funds to lower development fees in Metro Vancouver. 'We'll continue to do all of that work and continue to listen and talk through ideas,' Boyle said. 'But we are not going back to the Wild West days of empty condos, and foreign investment racking up the prices.' Eby, asked about the letter Wednesday, said he shares concerns about declining housing starts in some segments of the market but doesn't believe the answer is bringing huge amounts of foreign money back into B.C. 'Let me say this: We are not going back to the old model of doing things,' Eby said. 'Under the previous (provincial) government, the idea was if you welcome foreign investment into real estate, everybody's going to benefit. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'And what we saw was real estate prices became completely detached from what people are actually able to earn in British Columbia, meaning that young people are priced-out of the housing market, and those prices are incredibly sticky. 'I accept that the old model of doing things is not working anymore. And frankly, I say good. 'If you want to see what the old market did, look at the CURV building project in the West End of the city of Vancouver, a site that started at $16 million by local developers that ended up being sold for $69 million after international money got involved. It was completely stupid and disconnected from what the local market can support.' The CURV project is now mired in financial turmoil and facing receivership, its future unclear. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'If foreign capital can help build housing for Canadians and British Columbians, great. But if the foreign capital is just housing that is going to sit empty in the middle of downtown Vancouver, like the CURV building, well, forget about it. That model is dead.' The letter urges governments to consider the policy in Australia, which restricts foreign ownership of existing homes but allows foreign purchases of new homes and presales 'to maintain the strength of their construction industry.' One of the letter's signatories was Kevin Layden, president of Vancouver-based developer Wesbild. Layden said the current state of the B.C. residential real estate market is worse than the 2008 global financial crisis, and he has 'never seen it this bad.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'If projects don't go forward, there will be an inventory decline in two-to-three years time, which means we will not have enough homes for the population that we have, so that will drive prices back up,' Layden said. 'So what the industry is basically saying right now is we want to keep the pipelines moving. … We want to allow foreign investors to invest in these projects so we can get them built.' With files from Alec Lazenby dfumano@ Read More Vancouver Canucks Columnists News Vancouver Whitecaps Vancouver Whitecaps
The Province
12 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Province
Naked Gun co-stars Liam Neeson and Pamela Anderson are reportedly dating
'It's a budding romance in the early stages. It's sincere, and it's clear they're smitten with each other,' a source told People Magazine Pamela Anderson and Liam Neeson attend The Naked Gun U.S. premiere at the SVA Theatre on July 28, 2025, in New York. Photo by Bryan Bedder / Getty Images Reviews and recommendations are unbiased and products are independently selected. Postmedia may earn an affiliate commission from purchases made through links on this page. In a move that couldn't come soon enough for movie marketers, Liam Neeson and Pamela Anderson, stars of this Friday's new movie The Naked Gun, are said to be dating. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors A source close to the movie told People magazine: 'It's a budding romance in the early stages. It's sincere, and it's clear they're smitten with each other.' Neeson, 73, stars in the movie as Frank Drebin Jr., son of Leslie Nielsen's character from the original Naked Gun series. That began with the short-lived TV series Police Squad! (it ran for just six episodes in 1982), which then was spun off into three films. They were The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! (1988), The Naked Gun 2 1/2: The Smell of Fear (1991) and Naked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult (1994). Nielsen got his start as a serious actor before making his way into such comedies as Airplane! and Dracula: Dead and Loving It. Neeson, similarly, has seen his career careen over time. He began with serious roles — he starred in Schindler's List while Nielsen was making Naked Gun sequels — and then transitioned into being an action hero (Taken came out in 2008) before this new move into comedy. Essential reading for hockey fans who eat, sleep, Canucks, repeat. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Anderson, 58, plays Drebin's love interest, Beth, in the new movie; roughly the same role played by Priscilla Presley in the first Naked Gun film. Famous for TV's Baywatch in the 1990s, Anderson has moved between dramatic and comedic roles since then, with the latter including Scary Movie 3, Superhero Movie (also with fellow Canadian Nielsen) and 2006's Borat, where she performed so well in a cameo as herself that many people at the time believed she'd been unaware she was in a movie. Neeson and Anderson each brought their sons with them to a red-carpet premiere of The Naked Gun in New York on Monday. Anderson has two sons — Brandon, 29, and Dylan, 27, with ex-husband Tommy Lee — while Neeson has two sons, Micheál, 30, and Daniel, 28, with late wife Natasha Richardson, who died in 2009 after a skiing accident in Quebec. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. People reported that, the next day, the two stars pretended to be caught making out on live TV, a possible reference to the recent 'kisscam' debacle at a Coldplay concert. An earlier interview from October had Neeson saying he was 'madly in love' with his co-star, whom he called 'funny and so easy to work with.' She reciprocated, calling Neeson 'the perfect gentleman' and adding: 'It was an absolute honour to work with him.' Another hint came in an interview with Entertainment Weekly in May, when Anderson told the publication: 'I invited him and his assistant over for romantic dinners with me and my assistant, so our relationship stayed 'professionally romantic' during filming.' People reached out to representatives for both Anderson and Neeson but did not hear back. The Naked Gun opens Friday, Aug. 1 in theatres. Read More Vancouver Canucks Vancouver Canucks News Vancouver Whitecaps Soccer
The Province
14 hours ago
- Health
- The Province
McGill researchers develop AI that predicts respiratory illness before symptoms show
Ring, watch and T-shirt equipped with sensors recorded biometric data to accurately predict acute systemic inflammation Published Jul 30, 2025 • 3 minute read McGill researchers have developed an AI system that uses wearable sensor data to predict respiratory infections up to 72 hours before symptoms appear. Photo by gpointstudio / Getty Images/iStockphoto Researchers at McGill University say they developed an artificial intelligence platform that can predict when someone is about to come down with a respiratory tract infection before they start to feel sick. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors In what researchers are calling a 'world first,' the study involved participants who wore a ring, a watch and a T-shirt, all of which were equipped with sensors that recorded their biometric data. By analyzing the data, researchers were able to accurately predict acute systemic inflammation — an early sign of a respiratory infection such as COVID-19. Published in The Lancet Digital Health, the study says the AI platform can one day help doctors address health problems much earlier than they normally would, particularly in patients who are fragile and for whom a new infection could have serious consequences. It could also potentially reduce costs for the health-care system by preventing complications and hospitalizations. Essential reading for hockey fans who eat, sleep, Canucks, repeat. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'We were very interested to see if physiological data measured using wearable sensors … could be used to train an artificial intelligence system capable of detecting an infection or disease resulting from inflammation,' explained the study's lead author, Prof. Dennis Jensen of McGill University's department of kinesiology and physical education. 'We wondered if we could detect early changes in physiology and, from there, predict that someone is about to get sick.' Jense says the AI model his team created is the first in the world to use physiological measures — including heart rate, heart rate variability, body temperature, respiratory rate, blood pressure _ rather than symptoms, to detect a problem. Acute systemic inflammation is a natural defence mechanism of the body that usually resolves on its own, but it can cause serious health problems, especially in populations with pre-existing conditions. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'The whole idea is kind of like an iceberg,' Jensen said. 'Kind of when the ice cracks the surface, that's like when you're symptomatic, and then it's too late to really do much to treat it.' During the study, McGill researchers administered a weakened flu vaccine to 55 healthy adults to simulate infection in their bodies. The subjects were monitored seven days before inoculation and five days after. Acute systemic inflammation is a natural defence mechanism of the body that usually resolves on its own, but it can cause serious health problems, especially in populations with pre-existing conditions. Photo by simonapilolla / Getty Images/iStockphoto Participants wore a smart ring, smart watch, and a smart T-shirt simultaneously throughout the study. As well, researchers collected biomarkers of systemic inflammation using blood samples, PCR tests to detect the presence of respiratory pathogens, and a mobile app to collect symptoms reported by participants. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. In total, more than two billion data points were collected to train machine learning algorithms. Ten different AI models were developed, but the researchers chose the model that used the least amount of data for the remainder of the project. The chosen model correctly detected nearly 90 per cent of actual positive cases and was deemed more practical for daily monitoring. On their own, Jensen said, none of the data collected from the ring, watch, or T-shirt alone is sensitive enough to detect how the body is responding. 'An increase in heart rate alone may only correspond to two beats per minute, which is not really clinically relevant,' he explained. 'The decrease in heart rate variability can be very modest. The increase in temperature can be very modest. So the idea was that by looking at … several different measurements, we would be able to identify subtle changes in physiology.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The algorithms also successfully detected systemic inflammation in four participants infected with COVID-19 during the study. In each case, the algorithms flagged the immune response up to 72 hours before symptoms appeared or infection was confirmed by PCR testing. Ultimately, the researchers hope to develop a system that will inform patients of possible inflammation so they can contact their health-care provider. 'In medicine, we say that you have to give the right treatment to the right person at the right time,' Jensen said. By expanding the therapeutic window in which doctors can intervene, he added, they could save lives and achieve significant savings by avoiding hospitalizations and enabling home management of chronic conditions or even aging. 'In a way, we hope to revolutionize personalized medicine.' Read More Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark and sign up for our daily newsletter, Posted, here. Vancouver Canucks Local News Vancouver Whitecaps News Celebrity
