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Month: April 2024

‘Heart breaks’: Advocates say new disability benefit still leaves people in poverty

Advocates say a disability benefit that was supposed to be a historic move to lift people out of poverty turned out to be a disappointment in the federal budget.

The new Canada Disability Benefit will provide a maximum of $2,400 a year—or $200 a month — for low-income people with disabilities.

The benefit is expected to be given to about 600,000 people and won’t kick in until July 2025.

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Remdesivir tied to 25% lower risk of in-hospital death in adults with COVID and no added oxygen

The antiviral drug remdesivir cut death rates 17% to 25% in adults hospitalized for COVID-19 who didn’t require supplemental oxygen at admission, suggests a large US study published yesterday in Open Forum Infectious Diseases.

The study, led by researchers from remdesivir (Veklury) developer Gilead Sciences, used a multicenter US hospital billing database to compare rates of in-hospital death among 58,188 patients on room air who received at least one dose of remdesivir within the first 2 days of hospital admission and 17,574 matched patients not given the drug. The drug is most effective when given early in infection, when viral replication is most active.

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“Short-sighted and dangerous” – Public Health Ontario Lab workers are sounding the alarm about potential lab closures

TORONTO, April 17, 2024 – OPSEU/SEFPO President JP Hornick and members working at Public Health Ontario (PHO) Labs were at Queen’s Park today to sound the alarm about the potential closure of six (6) out of 11 PHO labs in Ontario, and the risk it poses for all Ontarians – especially rural families and communities.

“If the last few years have taught us anything, it is that public health should never be taken for granted,” said Hornick. “Like many choices made by this government, if Premier Ford decides to shutter the doors of these 6 labs it will be short-sighted and dangerous.”

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La distribution des vaccins contre la COVID-19 sera interrompue cet été

Manitoba indicated that the distribution of COVID-19 vaccines will be discontinued as of May 1. The vaccination campaign will resume in autumn 2024.

A provincial spokesperson says the province has taken this approach based on scientific evidence and advice from the National Advisory Committee on Immunization.

Based on seasonal trends in respiratory viruses in Manitoba, a dose administered in the fall is more likely to provide protection when respiratory virus circulation levels are higher, he said.

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Michael Gordon Jackson’s narrative challenged under cross-examination

Michael Gordon Jackson acknowledged some people might view what he did — taking his then seven-year-old daughter on the run across Western Canada — as…

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COVID-19 kills New Brunswicker aged 45-64, 2 youth among those hospitalized by flu

A New Brunswicker aged 45 to 64 has died from COVID-19, while the flu sent eight people to the hospital, including two youth aged five to 19, updated data from the province Tuesday shows.

“COVID-19 activity remains moderate,” according to the Respiratory Watch report. “Some indicators (number of cases, percent positivity, and hospitalizations) decreased slightly during the current reporting period, between March 31 and April 6.

Influenza activity remained “relatively stable,” it says.

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NZ bucked life expectancy trend during Covid-19 paper shows: What you need to know

These findings provide further evidence supporting the effectiveness of the elimination strategy for minimising mortality from the pandemic.

— Otago University epidemiologist Professor Michael Baker
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First Indigenous family health clinic opens in Montreal

Montreal’s first family health clinic adapted to Indigenous people’s needs officially opened its doors on Friday morning.

The Native Montreal Family Clinic project, which was launched in 2021, is being led by Native Montréal to ensure the deployment and sustainability of health and social services adapted to the identity and specific needs of the Indigenous clientele in the metropolitan area.

Health Minister Christian Dubé made the announcement on Friday alongside the Minister responsible for Relations with First Nations and Inuit, Ian Lafrenière.

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Video | Study finds no link between COVID vaccines and fatal heart problems in young people

A new study from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows there is no evidence to suggest COVID vaccines cause sudden cardiac death or other fatal heart problems in young people.

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Bird flu detected in cows in three more Michigan counties, agriculture department says

The recent detection of highly pathogenic avian influenza, commonly known as bird flu, has been confirmed in three additional dairy herds in Michigan counties: Ionia, Isabella, and Ottawa, the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development said Friday. That brought the total to four affected counties, with Montcalm County the first to detect the disease in a dairy herd about two weeks earlier.

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Radio | COVID infections are causing drops in IQ and years of brain aging, studies suggest

When COVID-19 first reared its head back in 2019, it brought with it a slew of strange symptoms beyond just respiratory problems. One of the most puzzling symptoms in those early days was something called “brain fog” — cognitive issues like confusion, forgetfulness, and trouble focusing.

And while other symptoms have changed as the virus mutated, brain fog is still a common complaint of COVID sufferers not only during the initial illness, but extending for months or even years afterwards. Several recent studies have been trying to understand exactly what this virus is doing to our brains — and how to stop it.

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Feds launch indoor air quality research program

The Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) this week announced the launch of the Building Resilient Environments for Air and Total Health (BREATHE) program, which is a platform with a goal of improving indoor air quality across the country.

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B.C. COVID-19 hospitalizations up slightly as province launches latest vaccine campaign

The number of people in B.C. hospitals with COVID-19 rose slightly this week as the province began rolling out its latest vaccination campaign.

There were 141 test-positive COVID patients in hospitals across the province as of Thursday, according to the latest data from the B.C. Centre for Disease Control. That’s an increase of nine – or about 6.8 per cent – from last week’s total.

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Hospitalizations nudge upward in otherwise stable respiratory checkup

Ottawa is back in high-risk respiratory territory because of an increase in new hospitalizations.

COVID-19 and RSV trends are generally seen as low in the weekly respiratory update from Ottawa Public Health (OPH).

Flu wastewater readings and hospitalizations remain very high as this flu season stretches into spring.

OPH said there were 17 new COVID, flu and RSV hospitalizations the week starting March 24, and 27 the week starting March 31.

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Wildfire season: What can Ottawa expect?

Last summer’s smoky skies could make a return this year, as officials say Canada is on track for a repeat of the 2023 wildfire season – the worst on record.

In Ottawa, wildfire smoke blanketed the capital several times last summer and there were multiple open air fire bans and even concerns Canada Day fireworks could trigger a blaze.

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Three studies spotlight long-term burden of COVID in US adults

Three new studies shed new light on long COVID in the United States, with one finding that two thirds of severely ill patients reported persistent impairments for up to 1 year, another showing that US veterans were at three times the risk of preventable hospitalization in the month after infection, and the last revealing that one third of COVID-19 survivors had lingering symptoms at one time.

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