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Tag: Canada

Topic: New BrunswickView all posts for the topic: New Brunswick

COVID-19 and flu kill 14 in N.B., 5 young children among more than 100 hospitalized

Published January 16, 2024

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Published by: CBC News
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By Bobbi-Jean MacKinnon

COVID-19 and the flu have killed at least 14 New Brunswickers in a week and hospitalized more than 100 people, including five children under four, the latest figures from the Department of Health show.

COVID-19 activity remains “moderate,” according to the Respiratory Watch report. “All indicators remained stable throughout the current reporting period,” Dec. 31 to Jan. 6.

Influenza activity remains “elevated,” it says.

Eight people died from COVID-19, up from six the previous week. They were all aged 65 or older.

Their deaths raise the pandemic death toll to at least 997. Only confirmed cases who die in hospital are counted.

Continue readingCOVID-19 and flu kill 14 in N.B., 5 young children among more than 100 hospitalized
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Topic: TorontoView all posts for the topic: Toronto

Toronto may be past its flu peak, but COVID-19 remains high, public health agency says

Published January 16, 2024

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Published by: CBC News
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By Lane Harrison

Toronto likely reached its influenza season peak in December, but according to Toronto Public Health’s latest respiratory illness update, COVID-19 infections are expected to remain high for now.

The percentage of positive influenza tests dropped to 6.6 per cent the week of Dec. 31 to Jan. 6, down from 15.6 per cent the week prior, Toronto Public Health (TPH) told the city’s Board of Health Monday. When it comes to COVID-19, positivity dropped only slightly to 17.6 per cent for the week of Dec. 31 to Jan. 6 from 18.6 per cent the week before.

But getting over the influenza peak doesn’t mean there aren’t still high levels of the illness in the city.

Continue readingToronto may be past its flu peak, but COVID-19 remains high, public health agency says
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Topic: OntarioView all posts for the topic: Ontario

Arguments begin in proposed class action against 304 long-term care homes

Published January 15, 2024

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Published by: The Trillium
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By Jack Hauen

Lawyers representing long-term care residents who suffered or died during the COVID-19 pandemic argued a class-action suit against hundreds of homes is the best way for those patients — and their loved ones — to get justice.

On Monday, plaintiff lawyers laid out their case before a Superior Court judge who will decide whether or not the proposed class action can go ahead. The suit, which is actually eight proceedings combined, names 304 independent and municipal homes, capturing almost half of the long-term care facilities in Ontario.

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Topic: vaccinesView all posts for the topic: vaccines

A spring COVID-19 booster? NACI has released updated guidelines

Published January 15, 2024

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Published by: Global News
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By Katie Dangerfield

Canadians may be in the thick of winter, but the National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) recently unveiled guidelines for an extra dose of the COVID-19 vaccine for the upcoming spring.

On Friday, NACI released updated guidelines on the COVID-19 boosters for spring 2024.

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Topic: QuebecView all posts for the topic: Quebec

Video | COVID longue : une personne sur dix serait touchée

Published January 15, 2024

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Published by: Radio-Canada
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By Téléjournal Montréal

About 10% of people infected with COVID-19 would still experience symptoms after three months. This is called long COVID. For some, it’s much longer. They suffer from extreme fatigue, pain, problems with concentration, and they just can’t get back to a normal life. Report by Jacaudrey Charbonneau.

Continue readingVideo | COVID longue : une personne sur dix serait touchée
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Topic: vaccinesView all posts for the topic: vaccines

Older, immunocompromised people may get COVID-19 vaccine dose in spring, NACI says

Published January 12, 2024

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Published by: CTV News / The Canadian Press
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Canada’s National Advisory Committee on Immunization says some groups of people vulnerable to severe illness from COVID-19 should be eligible for another dose of vaccine in the spring.

The recommendation issued Friday says people aged 65 and older, residents of long-term care homes and seniors living in other congregate settings may get another shot of the vaccine targeted to the XBB.1.5 variant.

It also says children and adults aged six months and older who are moderately to severely immunocompromised due to an underlying condition may also get the booster.

Continue readingOlder, immunocompromised people may get COVID-19 vaccine dose in spring, NACI says
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Topic: OntarioView all posts for the topic: Ontario

Ford government under fire over ER wait times

Published January 11, 2024

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Published by: CityNews
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By Richard Southern, Mike Visser

Calls are growing for the Ontario government to recall the legislature and deal with rising emergency room wait times.

“We’re extremely busy,” said Dr. Kashif Pirzada, an emergency room physician at one Greater Toronto Area hospital. “I walk in, there’s usually 10, 15 ambulances outside waiting to bring patients in.”

The situation is so bad that some hospitals like Markham Stouffville and Ross Memorial Hospital in Lindsay are advising patients to consider alternatives to the emergency room if their condition isn’t urgent.

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Topic: Nova ScotiaView all posts for the topic: Nova Scotia

Nova Scotia Health changes COVID-19 rapid test supplier over expiry dates

Published January 11, 2024

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Published by: Global News
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By Alex Cooke

The Nova Scotia government has changed the brand of COVID-19 rapid tests it distributes due to the newer tests having a longer expiry date.

In a statement, Nova Scotia Health spokesperson Jennifer Lewandowski said the province has transitioned to the Flowflex COVID-19 rapid tests, as they have a longer expiry date than the previously used BTNX rapid tests.

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Topic: rapid testsView all posts for the topic: rapid tests

Health Canada ignored warning signs before Ottawa spent billions on BTNX rapid tests

Published January 11, 2024

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Published by: Global News
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By Patti Sonntag

Health Canada ignored critical warnings about a rapid-test supplier before approving its COVID-19 kits for distribution nationwide, Global News has found.

A year-long Global News investigation into federal procurement revealed that BTNX, a Toronto-area rapid-test supplier that buys the devices from China, deleted dozens of specimens, or samples, from a study it submitted to Health Canada in October 2020. Deleting the specimens increased the estimate of the rapid test’s ability to detect the virus.

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Topic: AlbertaView all posts for the topic: Alberta

Latest COVID-19 variant wrestles its way to the top in Alberta

Published January 10, 2024

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Published by: CBC News
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By Jennifer Lee

A new COVID-19 variant appears to be on its way to taking over in Alberta, with one expert predicting it likely already accounts for the lion’s share of the province’s cases.

JN.1 is an offshoot of BA.2.86, which has evolved, like many of its predecessors, to better evade our immune defences.

It is now the dominant strain in Canada. Data from the Public Health Agency of Canada shows it accounted for about 66 per cent of COVID-19 cases nationwide by the end of December.

Continue readingLatest COVID-19 variant wrestles its way to the top in Alberta
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Topic: anti-vaxxersView all posts for the topic: anti-vaxxers

Non, les vaccins contre la COVID-19 n’ont pas fait 17 millions de morts

Published January 10, 2024

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Published by: Radio-Canada
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By Mélanie Meloche-Holubowski

The COVID-19 vaccination campaign did not result in millions of deaths, as claimed by a former University of Ottawa professor during an interview on Monday’s Network X show with conspiracy activist Alex Jones.

Denis Rancourt, a former University of Ottawa professor, was invited this week to participate in Alex Jones’ Infowars. The appearance came three days after Tucker Carlson’s show referred to Rancourt’s claims that COVID-19 vaccines have killed at least 17 million people worldwide.

Continue readingNon, les vaccins contre la COVID-19 n’ont pas fait 17 millions de morts
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Topic: British ColumbiaView all posts for the topic: British Columbia

Interior Health drops all COVID-19 rapid tests at facilities

Published January 9, 2024

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Published by: Global News
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Interior Health (IH) has completely withdrawn its COVID-19 rapid antigen tests (RAT) from its facilities.

This is according to an internal memo obtained by Global News.

“(The rapid tests) are not reliable for diagnosis of COVID-19,” the memo stated.

“As such COVID-19 RAT testing can no longer be used to direct clinical care or infection prevention and control measures, and must be discontinued immediately in Interior Health affiliated emergency rooms, hospitals, long-term care facilities (and) outpatient settings.”

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Topic: New BrunswickView all posts for the topic: New Brunswick

N.B. adds 17 more COVID-19 deaths, child under 4 among first flu deaths, warning about strep

Published January 9, 2024

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Published by: CBC News
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By Bobbi-Jean MacKinnon

COVID-19 has killed 17 more New Brunswickers, including six over the holidays, while influenza has claimed nine lives. These are the first flu deaths of the season and they include a child under four, the latest data from the province shows.

Dr. Yves Léger, the province’s acting chief medical officer of health, held a rare meeting with reporters Tuesday because of the rise in respiratory illnesses.

Continue readingN.B. adds 17 more COVID-19 deaths, child under 4 among first flu deaths, warning about strep
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Topic: SaskatchewanView all posts for the topic: Saskatchewan

‘Every bed is full’: Saskatoon doctors at a loss in the face of jam-packed ERs

Published January 8, 2024

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Published by: CTV News
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By Keenan Sorokan

Emergency room physicians in Saskatoon are becoming all too used to repeated apologies to patients for a system they say isn’t functioning as intended.

Dr. James Stempien says every shift presents a new set of challenges that rarely existed five to 10 years ago.

Rather than showing up to an emergency room, seeing a doctor and then being admitted to an appropriate ward of the hospital, more and more patients are being admitted and treated in the emergency room, linen rooms or hallways because there is nowhere else for them to go.

Continue reading‘Every bed is full’: Saskatoon doctors at a loss in the face of jam-packed ERs
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Topic: Nova ScotiaView all posts for the topic: Nova Scotia

Sydney doctor calls for higher public flu vaccination rates to ease ER waits

Published January 5, 2024

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Published by: CBC News
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By Tom Ayers

Emergency room wait times are up at the Cape Breton Regional Hospital in Sydney, N.S., mostly due to seasonal flu and respiratory illnesses and a resurgence of COVID, according to an emergency department doctor.

“The emergency department is crazy busy,” said Dr. Margaret Fraser, a family physician who does shifts at the regional ER. “We’re seeing very long wait times for patients — 12, 14, 18 hours — and high volumes of patients with respiratory illness, unfortunately.”

Continue readingSydney doctor calls for higher public flu vaccination rates to ease ER waits
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JN.1 is Canada’s new dominant COVID-19 subvariant. Here’s what to knowThis scanning electron microscope image shows SARS-CoV-2 virus particles (yellow), isolated from a patient in the United States, emerging from the surface of cells (blue/pink) cultured in the lab. Image captured and colourized at NIAID’s Rocky Mountain Laboratories in Hamilton, Montana. Credit: NIAID.
Topic: JN.1View all posts for the topic: JN.1

JN.1 is Canada’s new dominant COVID-19 subvariant. Here’s what to know

Published January 5, 2024

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Published by: Global News
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By Katie Dangerfield

A new COVID-19 subvariant, known as JN.1, has emerged and is now the prevailing strain across Canada, prompting health experts to caution that it may be more infectious and could even have extra symptoms.

Currently, the subvariant makes up the highest proportion of all COVID-19 variants, accounting for more than half (51.9 per cent) of all infections in Canada, according to the latest data from the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC).

JN.1 was first detected in Canada on Oct. 9, and since then has rapidly increased.

Continue readingJN.1 is Canada’s new dominant COVID-19 subvariant. Here’s what to know
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Topic: British ColumbiaView all posts for the topic: British Columbia

219 in hospital with COVID-19 in B.C.’s 1st update of 2024

Published January 4, 2024

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Published by: CTV News
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By Ian Holliday

Nearly four years after B.C. confirmed its first case of the novel coronavirus that would come to be known as COVID-19, the province begins 2024 with 219 people in hospital with the disease.

That’s a notable jump since the last update provided by the B.C. Centre for Disease Control on Dec. 21, when there were 153 test-positive patients in hospital across the province.

In its latest update, the BCCDC says this roughly 43-per-cent increase in the hospitalized population “is being monitored.”

Continue reading219 in hospital with COVID-19 in B.C.’s 1st update of 2024
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Topic: respiratory syncytial virusView all posts for the topic: respiratory syncytial virus

Health Canada approves RSV vaccine for maternal immunization

Published January 4, 2024

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Published by: CBC News
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By Jessica Wong

Health Canada has approved a new vaccine geared toward protecting two groups most severely affected by the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV): newborns, who would receive antibodies through maternal immunization, and Canadians over 60.

Pfizer Canada’s bivalent vaccine, called Abrysvo, aims to prevent lower respiratory tract disease caused by the virus.

It is the first RSV vaccine in Canada approved for use in pregnancy to provide protection for infants from birth to six months of age, and the second approved for seniors aged 60 and over.

Continue readingHealth Canada approves RSV vaccine for maternal immunization
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