The B.C. Centre for Disease Control has released detailed reports of where people may have been exposed to measles in B.C.
B.C. CDC says there are 12 currently active cases of measles in B.C. and that 17 new cases were reported in Fraser Health, Interior Health and Northern Health regions since June 19. Forty-nine cases have been reported this year.
Comments closedAlberta’s measles outbreaks have now eclipsed the 1,000-case mark and infectious disease specialists are warning the virus is “impossible to contain,” given the current level of transmission.
The province reported another 24 cases on Friday, including 14 in the north zone, nine in the south and one in the Edmonton zone.
This brings the total confirmed cases since the outbreaks began in March to 1,020.
Comments closedScientists in Canada are scrambling. Over the past few months, the U.S. government has cut billions of dollars in funding from scientific research as part of sweeping cost-cutting measures.
“It’s really shocking. It’s really like this big cloud over science,” Kate Moran, CEO of Ocean Networks Canada, told Quirks & Quarks. Ocean Networks Canada participates in a project called the Argo system, an international program that collects information from on and under the ocean using a fleet of robotic instruments that drift with the ocean currents.
But that program, which is led by researchers in the U.S., could be at risk.
Comments closedThe Alberta government is facing fierce and mounting opposition to plans that will reduce access to publicly funded COVID-19 vaccines in the province
The province announced late on Friday that it will limit funding of the COVID-19 shots to very specific high risk groups, including Albertans living in care homes and group settings, those receiving home care, people on social programs such as AISH, and immunocompromised individuals.
Seniors living in the community, pregnant Albertans and health-care workers will have to pay out of pocket for the vaccine, along with the rest of the population.
Comments closedOn May 27, the Journal of the American Medical Association Pediatrics published a patient information page about Long COVID in children. It states “Long COVID is common, affecting up to 10 per cent to 20 per cent of children with a history of COVID-19. With almost six million U.S. children potentially affected, this is higher than the number of children with asthma, the most common chronic health problem in children.”
Two weeks later on June 13, Danielle Smith’s UCP, famously fans of the anti-science Trump government, highlighted horrifically unscientific new FDA guidance suggesting healthy children and pregnant women are not recommended for COVID vaccination, while announcing a new policy where most Albertans have to pay for immunization.
Beyond the obvious inequities and loss of access that payment for prophylaxis presents, the UCP introduced a new four-phase rollout plan whereby those under age 65 without qualifying conditions cannot be vaccinated until the final phase. This means kids will likely head back to schools months before they are eligible for vaccination, ensuring they are exposed to the latest COVID strains before becoming eligible for updated vaccination. It also leaves the UCP an opening to not buy pediatric vaccines at all and claim “low demand.”
Comments closedTORONTO – As Dr. Theresa Tam prepares to leave her position next week, Canada’s top doctor says it’s more important than ever for Canada to stand up for science and combat disinformation.
She’s held the role of chief public health officer for eight years, but became a household name in the last five years as she led the country’s public health response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Her term ends June 20 and she doesn’t have another job lined up, Tam said in a wide-ranging interview Friday that touched on her desire to be remembered for more than COVID, her passion for health equity and the musical side of her the public hasn’t seen.
Comments closedThe City of Edmonton has activated its extreme weather response due to high-risk air quality caused by wildfire smoke. The response began at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, and will continue until 9:00 a.m. on Monday, with possible extension if conditions persist.
City recreation centres, pools, and libraries are open to anyone needing relief from the smoke.
These indoor spaces offer cleaner air, unlike transit centres and LRT stations, which are exposed to outdoor air.
Free N95 masks and bottled water are also available at some City facilities, including libraries and recreation centres.
Residents are urged to stay indoors, keep windows closed, and check on vulnerable neighbours.
Comments closedThe City of Ottawa is experiencing some of the worst air quality in the world due to wildfire smoke on Friday, with the poor air quality expected to continue into Saturday.
A special air quality statement remains in effect for Ottawa, eastern Ontario and western Quebec, warning smoke is causing poor air quality and reduced visibility.
“High risk air quality due to wildfire smoke is expected over the area overnight. As smoke levels increase, health risks increase,” Environment Canada said in an updated statement at 5 p.m. Friday.
“Limit time outdoors. Consider reducing or rescheduling outdoor sports, activities and events.”
Ottawa’s air quality was rated 10+ or “Very High Risk” at 4 p.m., after a slight improvement earlier in the day. The Air Quality Health Index shows Ottawa’s air quality will be or 10 or “High Risk” tonight, improving to to “5-Moderate Risk” tomorrow.
Comments closedToronto is currently the second most polluted major city in the world as wildfire smoke spreads across the city, according to a global tracker.
The ranking by IQAir, a Swiss air quality technology company, puts the city below Santiago, Chile, and above Montreal, which is in third place as it also faces wildfire smoke from western provinces.
As of noon Friday, air quality in Toronto was above 10 on Environment Canada’s air quality health index, which means “very high risk,” according to the weather agency’s website.
Comments closedThe smoke generated by the fires raging in the forests of western Canada worsened air quality on Friday in the Prairies, Ontario and Quebec, where warnings of smog and poor air quality were issued by Environment Canada.
Early this morning, Toronto and Montreal were among the most heavily polluted cities in the world, according to the website of the Swiss company IQAIR, which operates a global air quality monitoring network.
According to the measurements posted on the company’s website, at around 8.30 am, Montreal and Toronto were respectively the second and third most polluted cities in the world, behind Tashkent in Uzbekistan.
In Canada, the worst air quality was measured in Winnipeg and Ottawa on Friday morning.
Comments closedTORONTO — The Canadian Ophthalmological Society is urging people to take care of their eyes as wildfires burn across Manitoba and Saskatchewan.
People on the frontlines of the fires may get airborne particles in their eyes that need to be flushed out with sterile solution, said Dr. David Plemel, an eye surgeon in London, Ont., who was speaking on behalf of the society.
If it’s not easy to get the particle out, he recommends seeing an eye professional so they can remove it without damaging the cornea.
Smoke travels long distances and can affect people’s eyes even if they are far away from an actual blaze, said Plemel, who is also an assistant professor of ophthalmology at Western University.
Comments closedA special air quality statement is in effect for eastern Ontario and western Quebec.
The statement was issued by Environment Canada Thursday, saying smoke caused by wildfires is expected to cause poor air quality and reduced visibility over the area tonight into Friday morning — the health risk will be high at these times.
“As smoke levels increase, health risks increase. Limit time outdoors. Consider reducing or rescheduling outdoor sports, activities and events,” reads the statement.
“You may experience mild and common symptoms such as eye, nose and throat irritation, headaches or a mild cough. More serious but less common symptoms include wheezing, chest pains or severe cough. If you think you are having a medical emergency, seek immediate medical assistance.”
The air quality statement extends as far west as Lake Huron, south into Toronto and Windsor, and north of Gatineau, Que.
Comments closedAn infant in southwestern Ontario who contracted measles from their mother before birth and was born prematurely has died, Ontario’s chief medical officer of health says.
The child’s mother had not been vaccinated against the viral illness, Dr. Kieran Moore said in his statement.
While measles can be fatal, especially for young children, Moore noted the child also faced other “serious medical complications.”
“While measles may have been a contributing factor in both the premature birth and death, the infant also faced other serious medical complications unrelated to the virus,” Moore said.
Comments closedThe federal government says it will match donations made to the Canadian Red Cross as wildfires tear across the Prairies, forcing thousands from their homes.
Speaking on Parliament Hill Tuesday, Emergency Management Minister Eleanor Olszewski said the money will go toward wildfire relief and disaster recovery.
The provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba will also match donations, she said.
Comments closedAir quality warnings have been issued for a large swath of Manitoba, though rain could bring some much-needed relief.
Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) upgraded a number of air quality statements to warnings Monday morning in a large portion of southern Manitoba, including Winnipeg, Steinbach, and Lac du Bonnet.
These areas join much of northern Manitoba, which have been under air quality warnings for days due to wildfires burning in the region and in northern Saskatchewan.
However, the weather agency notes smoke will improve with rain forecast through southern Manitoba on Monday, while northern communities under wildfire threat will likely have to wait until the weekend for precipitation.
Comments closedThe Air Quality Health Index (AQHI) for Brandon reached 10+, indicating a “very high risk” level on Saturday morning, as thick smoke was expected to linger in the air until Saturday night.
Environment Canada’s forecast anticipates that these hazardous conditions will persist through Saturday night, with only a slight improvement expected, dropping to a “moderate risk” (AQHI 6) by Sunday morning and a “high risk” (AQHI 7) by Sunday night.
The elevated readings are the result of thick wildfire smoke that drifted into Brandon Friday evening and remains heavy over the city Saturday morning. The smoke originates from wildfires burning in northern Manitoba and northern Saskatchewan and has led Environment Canada to issue a special air quality statement for the city.
Comments closedSaskatoon was under an air quality advisory Friday morning, as wildfires raging in northern Alberta and Saskatchewan sent smoke across the southern parts of the province.
Those who left a window open overnight likely woke up to the familiar smell of a campfire, but Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) is advising residents to close their windows and limit strenuous outdoor activities or exercise while the system of air pollution passes through.
“Protect your indoor air from wildfire smoke. Actions can include using a clean, good quality air filter in your ventilation system and/or a certified portable air cleaner that can filter fine particles,” the statement said.
Comments closedSARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, has mutated into two new variants that are circulating across Asia, Europe and North America, and Quebec’s public health authority warns one of the strains was detected in Montreal wastewater data.
The variant found in Quebec, XFG, has also been detected in wastewater in other parts of Canada, the United States, and Europe. Another new strain, NB.1.8.1, is associated with a rise in COVID cases and hospitalizations in China, Hong Kong, India, Taiwan, Thailand, and Singapore, according to Marie-Pierre Blier, a spokesperson from the health ministry.
Although XFG has made its way to Quebec, public health authorities assure there is no need to panic. Blier wrote in an email that it hasn’t markedly impacted public health, adding that the ministry continues to monitor the situation closely.
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