More than 19,700 Canadians died of COVID-19 last year, the highest number since the pandemic began in 2020.
Comments closedMonth: November 2023
Topic: variantsView all posts for the topic: variants
WHO upgrades BA.2.86 to COVID-19 variant of interest as US proportions grow
The World Health Organization (WHO) last week reclassified the Omicron BA.2.86 variant—and its offshoots, including JN.1—as a variant of interest as global proportions grow, including in the United States, where it now makes up about 9% of circulating viruses, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said today.
Comments closedTopic: ChinaView all posts for the topic: China
Pneumonia outbreak in Chinese kids linked to known pathogens
The surge in respiratory infections in young children in northern China is being driven primarily by known viral and bacterial infections and not by a novel pathogen, the World Health Organization (WHO) said late last week in an update.
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Topic: premature birthsView all posts for the topic: premature births
Study: Spike in premature births caused by COVID, halted by vaccines
COVID-19 caused an alarming surge in premature births, but vaccines were key to returning the early birth rate to pre-pandemic levels, according to a new analysis of California birth records.
“The effect of maternal COVID infection from the onset of the pandemic into 2023 is large, increasing the risk of preterm births over that time by 1.2 percentage points,” says Jenna Nobles, a University of Wisconsin–Madison sociology professor. “To move the needle on preterm birth that much is akin to a disastrous environmental exposure, like weeks of breathing intense wildfire smoke.”
Comments closedTopic: SaskatchewanView all posts for the topic: Saskatchewan
Sask. flu cases surge as COVID-19 trend remains ‘elevated’
According to Saskatchewan’s latest respiratory illness surveillance report, flu season has descended on the province, with a dramatic spike in confirmed cases.
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Study: Air purifier use at daycare centres cut kids’ sick days by a third
Use of air purifiers at two daycare centres in Helsinki led to a reduction in illnesses and absences among children and staff, according to preliminary findings of a new study led by E3 Pandemic Response.
Air purifiers of various sizes and types were placed in two of the city’s daycare centres during cold and flu seasons.
The initial results from the first year of research are promising, according to researcher Enni Sanmark, from HUS Helsinki University Hospital.
“Children were clearly less sick in daycare centres where air purification devices were used — down by around 30 percent,” Sanmark explained.
Comments closedTopic: life expectancyView all posts for the topic: life expectancy
Baisse de l’espérance de vie en Atlantique : la COVID-19, principale responsable
Life expectancy fell in the four Atlantic provinces in 2022. COVID-19 is one of the causes put forward by Statistics Canada to explain the phenomenon.
Comments closedTopic: MontrealView all posts for the topic: Montreal
COVID-19 outbreak aboard Canadian warship forces cancellation of Great Lakes tour
An outbreak of COVID-19 aboard a Canadian warship has forced the Royal Canadian Navy to cancel the remainder of a tour of the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence Seaway.
Comments closedTopic: pandemic responseView all posts for the topic: pandemic response
The 10 Chilling Laws of Pandemics
The Global Preparedness Monitoring Board, an institutional offshoot of the dysfunctional World Health Organization and its equally wonky partner the World Bank, recently declared the obvious: the world is not ready for the next pandemic.
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Topic: OntarioView all posts for the topic: Ontario
Ontario COVID wastewater signal hits one-year peak: ‘Your chance of being exposed is very high’
In a sign that COVID-19 continues to affect the lives of Ontarians, even if the virus is far from the minds of many, both the province’s wastewater signal and nationwide hospitalizations for the virus have reached one-year highs.
And they’re on their way up.
Comments closedTopic: OntarioView all posts for the topic: Ontario
Masking requirements increase in all areas of Stevenson Memorial Hospital
Masking requirements are increasing at Stevenson Memorial Hospital (SMH) starting on Monday in all areas of the facility, including hallways and shared spaces.
The hospital’s website cites rising COVID-19 cases, including outbreaks at health care and seniors’ facilities as the reason behind the change.
Comments closedTopic: air pollutionView all posts for the topic: air pollution
Air Pollution Is Really Dangerous, Even More New Evidence Shows
PM2.5 particles are tiny enough to enter the bloodstream and lodge in the lungs, where they contribute to respiratory problems such as asthma. They also can prompt heart attacks and strokes. And they have been linked to diabetes, obesity and dementia and may exacerbate COVID.
Comments closedTopic: PEIView all posts for the topic: PEI
Kings County Memorial Hospital in-patient unit declares COVID-19 outbreak
A COVID-19 outbreak has been declared in the in-patient unit at Kings County Memorial Hospital in Montague.
Comments closedTopic: OntarioView all posts for the topic: Ontario
COVID-19: Peterborough area risk index remains high; 2 outbreaks at PRHC
For the fourth week in a row, the community risk index for COVID-19 for the Peterborough, Ont., region remains at a high level, public health officials report.
Comments closedTopic: AlbertaView all posts for the topic: Alberta
Alberta’s new COVID stats page can be confusing. Here are the key numbers — and what they mean
Alberta’s new respiratory virus dashboard provides weekly updates on the spread of COVID‑19 in the province, but making sense of the numbers can be a challenge — and it’s particularly difficult to figure out how many people have died.
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Topic: cancerView all posts for the topic: cancer
Inside long COVID’s war on the body: Researchers are trying to find out whether the virus has the potential to cause cancer
Long COVID is no stranger to either patients or those immersed in studies of its effects. In the U.S., one in 7 adults–about 14% of the adult population–has experienced symptoms that lasted three months or longer after first contracting the virus. The worldwide estimate for long COVID is 65 million people.
What is less clear–because it’s still so early in the process–is the impact of some of SARS-CoV-2’s most dangerous characteristics on those hit by long COVID. But some researchers are warily watching for the worst: a potential connection to cancer.
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Topic: Ottawa-GatineauView all posts for the topic: Ottawa-Gatineau
Ottawa-Gatineau community update | 2023‑11‑22
📈 The COVID-19 wastewater viral signal for Ottawa has increased substantially (+1,684%) since a low on July 12, 2023.
⚠️ The 7-day average of percent positivity is extremely high (17.23%).
🏥 Confirmed COVID-19 patients in Ottawa hospitals: 203 ( increase of 25).
Since January 1, 2023, there have been 105 COVID-19 outbreaks at Ottawa’s hospitals, leading to 15 deaths and 865 known cases of COVID-19.
Comments closedTopic: AlbertaView all posts for the topic: Alberta
Calgary’s Peter Lougheed Centre adopts masking directive to curb COVID-19 infections
Calgary’s Peter Lougheed Centre is one of the latest hospitals to adopt Alberta Health Service’s mask directive to curb the spread of COVID-19.
Masking is now required for Peter Lougheed Centre’s staff, physicians, volunteers, contracted service providers and laboratory workers in patient-facing areas of the hospital.
Continue readingCalgary’s Peter Lougheed Centre adopts masking directive to curb COVID-19 infections
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