Tag: Canada

Le nombre de cas de rougeole en hausse au Canada

Published by: La Presse / The Canadian Press
Published on: March 27, 2024
By Nicole Ireland

The number of confirmed measles cases in Canada so far this year is more than three times higher than all infections recorded in 2023, the country’s public health official said, urging people to make sure their vaccines are up to date.

The Public Health Agency of Canada identified 40 confirmed cases across the country in 2024, its Chief Administrator, Dr. Theresa Tam, confirmed on Wednesday.

Tam expressed concern that an insufficient number of school-aged children have not been properly vaccinated against the highly contagious virus.

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measles

Measles cases in Canada are increasing, Canada’s chief public health officer warns

Published March 27, 2024

Published by: CTV News / The Canadian Press
Published on: March 27, 2024
By Nicole Ireland

The number of confirmed measles cases in Canada so far this year is more than three times higher than all infections recorded in 2023, the country’s chief public health officer said as she urged people to ensure their vaccinations are up to date.

The Public Health Agency of Canada is aware of 40 confirmed cases across the country in 2024, Dr. Theresa Tam said on Wednesday.

Tam said she is concerned that not enough school-aged children have been adequately vaccinated against the highly contagious virus.

“I strongly advise parents or caregivers to ensure that children in their care have received all measles vaccines according to schedule,” she said in an interview.

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British Columbia

Anti-COVID mandate protester found not guilty of criminal charges

Published March 27, 2024

Published by: CBC News
Published on: March 27, 2024

WARNING: This story contains offensive and racist language.

A Kelowna man charged with causing a disturbance after yelling at a security guard at a vaccine clinic has been found not guilty by a B.C. judge.

Bruce Orydzuk, 60, was captured on video repeatedly yelling at the guard, who was wearing a turban. The guard had asked him to leave the property of a COVID-19 vaccine clinic in July 2021.

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Ottawa-Gatineau

Ottawa Public Library to provide free solar eclipse glasses for residents

Published March 27, 2024

Published by: CTV News
Published on: March 27, 2024
By William Eltherington

The Ottawa Public Library will be providing free solar eclipse glasses to residents in anticipation of a partial solar eclipse on April 8.

While supplies last, the glasses that provide proper protection for eclipse viewing will include a printed handout with safety instructions.

The City of Ottawa says it will launch the initiative on Thursday, March 28. All library branches will have total solar eclipse glasses available for the public, starting when branches open on Thursday.

Officials say quantities of glasses are limited, so branches will run out before April 8.

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Ontario

Masking policy updated by Huron Perth Healthcare Alliance

Published March 27, 2024

Published by: CTV News
Published on: March 27, 2024
By Kristylee Varley

Huron Perth Healthcare Alliance (HPHA) is updating its masking policy.

“Based upon the most recent Public Health Ontario guidance, updates will be made…” read a release from the organization.

Effective immediately, masking will be “welcomed but no longer required,” in many clinical areas of HPHA hospital sites with the exception of emergency departments where masking is still required.

Masking will also still be required for anybody who has symptoms of respiratory infection such as cough, fever and sore throat. If you’re accompanying somebody with symptoms, you must also wear a mask.

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New Brunswick

3 more COVID deaths in New Brunswick, 4 youth among flu hospitalizations

Published March 26, 2024

Published by: CBC News
Published on: March 26, 2024
By Bobbi-Jean MacKinnon

Three more New Brunswickers have died from COVID-19, while no new influenza deaths have been reported, and hospitalizations for both viruses have decreased, updated data from the province Tuesday shows.

A child under four, and three youth aged five to 19 are among those hospitalized by the flu between March 10 and March 16, according to the Respiratory Watch report.

“COVID-19 activity remains moderate; some indicators (number of cases, percent positivity, and hospitalizations) decreased slightly during the current reporting period,” it says.

Influenza activity “slightly decreased” during the reporting week.

Of the three people who died, one was aged 45 to 64 and the other two were aged 65 or older.

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long COVID

Video | Elle espère guérir de la COVID longue depuis 4 ans

Published March 26, 2024

Published by: Radio-Canada
Published on: March 26, 2024
By Rad Vidéo

Family physician Caroline Grégoire suffers from post-COVID-19 syndrome [long COVID]. She shares her symptoms and her life’s struggle over the past four years: to manage her energy. She deplores the government’s lack of help and says her chronic fatigue has not always been taken seriously, or even invalidated, by healthcare workers.

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Toronto

Video | Third case of measles confirmed in Toronto

Published March 25, 2024

Published by: CTV News
Published on: March 25, 2024

Public health officials say they were able to notify all individuals with direct exposure to the third confirmed case of measles in Toronto.

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cognitive decline

COVID Linked to Lower IQ, Poor Memory and Other Negative Impacts on Brain Health

Published March 24, 2024

Published by: People
Published on: March 24, 2024
By Erin Clack

Taken together, these studies show that COVID-19 poses a serious risk to brain health, even in mild cases, and the effects are now being revealed at the population level. […]

The growing body of research now confirms that COVID-19 should be considered a virus with a significant impact on the brain. The implications are far-reaching, from individuals experiencing cognitive struggles to the potential impact on populations and the economy.

— Dr. Ziyad Al-Aly

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climate crisis

Alberta scientists band together to shift climate change focus to health impacts

Published March 24, 2024

Published by: CTV News / The Canadian Press
Published on: March 24, 2024
By Bob Weber

Bodies and minds are just as affected by climate change as sea ice and forests, says University of Alberta scientist Sherilee Harper.

“Climate change impacts everything we care about,” she said. “It’s not just an environmental issue.”

That’s why Harper, along with 30 or so colleagues from disciplines as wide-ranging as economics and epidemiology, have banded together into what she calls Canada’s first university hub to shift the view of climate change from an environmental problem to a threat to human health.

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measles

L’éclosion de rougeole, un symptôme de l’hésitation vaccinale

Published March 24, 2024

Published by: Radio-Canada
Published on: March 24, 2024
By Mélanie Meloche-Holubowski

There have now been around thirty cases of measles in Quebec since the start of the year. While this number may not seem high, measles outbreaks indicate that vaccination coverage is inadequate. Interview with Ève Dubé, anthropologist and holder of the CIHR Applied Public Health Chair in the Anthropology of Vaccination Issues, INSPQ-ULaval.

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Waterloo Region

Waterloo Region senior dies of COVID-19 as flu hospitalizes a greater number of patients

Published March 22, 2024

Published by: Waterloo Region Record
Published on: March 22, 2024
By Jeff Outhit

A woman in her 90s has died of COVID-19, raising the pandemic toll to 12 deaths this year.

The regional public health unit reported the latest death Friday in a weekly update of indicators. The health unit counts cases where the pandemic disease is a main or contributing cause of death.

Hospitalizations are stable at a relatively low level. There are currently six patients with COVID-19 in three local hospitals on an average day. A typical day during the four-year pandemic is 26 patients hospitalized.

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disinformation

Tech platforms face ‘whack-a-mole’ situation in battling health misinformation

Published March 22, 2024

Published by: CityNews / The Canadian Press
Published on: March 22, 2024
By Tara Deschamps

When Dr. Garth Graham thinks about health misinformation on social media platforms, he envisions a garden. No matter how bountiful or verdant that garden is, even…

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British Columbia

COVID-19 hospitalizations drop in weekly BCCDC update

Published March 21, 2024

Published by: CTV News
Published on: March 21, 2024
By Ian Holliday

The number of COVID-positive patients in B.C. hospitals declined this week, according to the latest data from the B.C. Centre for Disease Control.

There were 148 test-positive patients in hospitals across the province as of Thursday, a decrease of 15 – or about nine per cent – from the 163 reported in hospital at this time last week.

The latest data continues the trend of relatively stable hospitalization levels seen throughout 2024 so far, with the first update of the year remaining the only one to show more than 200 COVID patients receiving hospital treatment.

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Quebec

Quebecers over 80 are urged to get COVID vaccine booster this spring

Published March 21, 2024

Published by: Montreal Gazette / The Canadian Press
Published on: March 21, 2024

Quebec’s immunization committee is recommending a booster dose of the monovalent XBB.1.5 COVID-19 vaccine this spring to seniors ages 80 and over as well as to people who are immunocompromised or on dialysis.

The COVID-19 situation continues to evolve and certain parts of the population remain more vulnerable to the virus, the Institut national de santé publique du Québec (INSPQ) said this week in publishing its vaccination recommendations.

A person vaccinated against COVID-19 is less likely to develop serious illness, but a gradual decrease in this protection is observed over a period of six months following vaccination. A booster dose is therefore necessary to maintain adequate protection, the INSPQ notes in its most recent opinion.

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Quebec

Vaccination contre la COVID-19: l’INSPQ publie ses recommandations pour le printemps

Published March 21, 2024

Published by: The Canadian Press
Published on: March 21, 2024
By Katrine Desautels

The COVID-19 situation continues to evolve and some population groups remain more vulnerable to the virus. This week, the Institut national de santé publique du Québec (INSPQ) published its vaccination recommendations for spring 2024.

A person vaccinated against COVID-19 is less likely to develop a serious illness, but a gradual decrease in this protection is observed over a period of six months after vaccination. A booster dose is thus necessary to maintain adequate protection, recalls the INSPQ in its latest opinion.

Serious complications of COVID-19 are much more common in people 80+ years of age. For this age group, about one in 30 infected people must be hospitalized. For those aged 60 to 79, the incidence of hospitalizations and deaths is lower, except for those living with a chronic disease.

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Measles is highly contagious, but vaccine-preventable: A primer on recent outbreaks, transmission, symptoms and complications, including ‘immune amnesia’

measles

Measles is highly contagious, but vaccine-preventable: A primer on recent outbreaks, transmission, symptoms and complications, including ‘immune amnesia’

Published March 21, 2024

Published by: The Conversation
Published on: March 21, 2024
By Mansour Haeryfar

Canada is seeing a resurgence of measles, with cases in the first quarter of 2024 already far surpassing the total for all of 2023. There were 12 cases last year, and more than three times that number so far in 2024, with 38 reported as of March 19.

Most of these cases (28) are in Québec, and eight are in Ontario, while Saskatchewan and British Columbia have each reported one case.

As an immunologist with a focus on host-microbe interactions and antiviral immunity, I have been following recent measles outbreaks.

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Ottawa-Gatineau

Respiratory virus levels mostly steady, but 13 flu hospitalizations in latest update

Published March 21, 2024

Published by: Ottawa Citizen
Published on: March 21, 2024

Respiratory disease levels have remained mostly steady in the past week, Ottawa Public Health says in its latest update.

Influenza remains a major concern with 13 more patients hospitalized in the seven days ended March 16. There were 14 new hospitalizations for COVID-19, which OPH described as “low and decreasing since last week.”

There were 45 more confirmed COVID-19 cases, about half of them in patients 65 years of age and older.

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