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Month: September 2023

Universities need to take lead role in providing COVID-safe learning

As a new strain of the virus spreads, regular testing, improved air filtration, masking policies and vaccinations will ensure universities can remain inclusive.

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Providence Care returns to masking

Starting Monday, Providence Care is reintroducing masking to its sites due to the prevalence of COVID-19 in the region.

Staff, students, volunteers and visitors alike will have to mask up in the clinical care areas of Providence Care Hospital, Providence Transitional Care Centre and community sites.

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Former university athlete says COVID stopped him from running — wants people to mask again

A Tecumseh, Ont., native who brought awareness to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic by running a marathon while wearing a hospital gown is now dealing with the effects of long COVID.

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BC’s first annual clean air festival promotes immunocompromised accessibility

On September 2, BC’s first annual Clean Air Festival occurred at Trout Lake in East Vancouver. The event is supported by Protect Our Province, Safe Schools Coalition BC, Masks4EastVan, and DoNoHarm BC. It promoted an accessible space where immunocompromised individuals can find sanctuary among peers who relate to ongoing concerns around airborne pathogens, like COVID-19, and pollutants that significantly affect air quality.

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N.B. opposition slams changes in COVID‑19 reporting

New Brunswick opposition parties have accused the government of trying to downplay COVID-19 by changing the way it reports on the virus.

On Tuesday the province launched a new Respiratory Watch report, which provides updates on both COVID-19 and influenza. Among the changes is a new definition for COVID deaths that will see only deaths that occur in hospital counted.

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Does COVID-19 spread in a hospital mean there’s an outbreak? Not anymore, says B.C. health ministry

Several B.C. hospitals and long term care facilities have seen a spike in COVID-19 cases recently according to the provincial health ministry, but these cases are not being named or reported publicly.

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Covid may have permanently damaged people’s immunity

Covid infections are putting people at higher risk of diabetes, strokes, heart disease and other long-term illnesses – but experts warn it may be decades before the full impact is known.

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Mandatory masking could return to P.E.I. health facilities this fall

Health P.E.I. says it’s keeping a close eye on the number of COVID-19, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and flu cases among staff and patients, as it weighs whether to bring back mandatory masking at its facilities.

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US CDC recommends broad use of updated COVID‑19 vaccines

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention director on Tuesday signed off on broad use of updated COVID-19 vaccines approved by the government – covering ages 6 months and up – as the country prepares to start a vaccination campaign within days.

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Absence rates due to illness double in first week and a half at Calgary public schools

Absence rates at Calgary public schools have more than doubled after the first week of school, as concerns loom over respiratory illnesses this fall and hospitals deal with an E. coli outbreak.

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Parents call for better air quality in schools to protect against viruses, wildfire smoke

Several grassroots groups of parents, health-care workers and teachers have sprung up across Canada to lobby for safer schools, including improved air quality.

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N.B. changes definitions of COVID deaths and hospitalizations, launches Respiratory Watch

New Brunswick has revamped the way it reports on COVID-19 again, including the launch of a new Respiratory Watch report that combines updates on both COVID-19 and influenza, and new definitions of COVID deaths and hospitalizations.

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1 in 4 COVID survivors had impaired lung function 1 year on, study shows

A quarter of COVID-19 survivors had impaired lung function 1 year after infection, and older patients, those with more than three chronic conditions, and those with severe cases improved slower than other patients over time, a Dutch study published yesterday in PLOS One reveals.

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Health Canada approves Moderna’s updated COVID-19 vaccine

Health Canada has approved Moderna’s updated COVID-19 vaccine for all Canadians who are six months of age and older — while two other options for fall shots remain in the regulatory pipeline.

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‘Keep everyone safe’: Masking now required in patient rooms, cancer centre and dialysis clinic waiting areas at Barrie’s RVH

Decision made ahead of fall season in anticipation of increased spread of influenza, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and COVID-19.

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Moderna’s updated COVID vaccine targeting XBB.1.5 approved in Canada

Health Canada has given the green light to an eagerly anticipated fall COVID-19 booster shot in hopes of bolstering the nation’s defence against the virus as the fall season approaches.

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