Three years after the WHO declared the pandemic, this report plunges into the heart of the upset daily life of a Montreal family affected by…
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Topic: University of WaterlooView all posts for the topic: University of Waterloo
UW responds to open letter calling for more robust COVID-19 measures
An open letter calling for UW to implement more robust COVID-19 measures has picked up traction, receiving an endorsement from the World Health Network as well as a response from the university.
The letter was addressed to UW senior administration by the COVID Action, Response, and Equity (CARE) Coalition, a group made up of students, faculty, staff and alumni. It has garnered about 150 signatures so far, including UW Climate Justice Ecosystem, the UW QTPOC KW, and the School of Public Health Sciences Graduate Students’ Association.
Comments closedTopic: QuebecView all posts for the topic: Quebec
Deux nouveaux cas de rougeole à Montréal, pour un total de 12 au Québec
The Quebec Ministry of Health reports on Thursday two more cases of measles, bringing to 12 the total number of confirmed infections in the province since the beginning of the year.
The Quebec Ministry of Health indicates that since the beginning of the year, two cases of measles have been reported in Laval, north of Montreal, and another in Mauricie–Centre-du-Québec.
The Direction régionale de santé publique de Montréal states that seven cases reported in its territory, including the two new infections, are due to transmission in the community. The other two cases are related to international travel.
The regional agency says it is intensifying its efforts to trace the contacts of infected people.
Authorities said last Monday that the number of cases in Quebec was worrying, noting that measles vaccination rates were sometimes as low as 30% in some schools in Montreal.
Comments closedTopic: advocacyView all posts for the topic: advocacy
La Société canadienne de la COVID lancée pour contrer les effets à long terme
A national not-for-profit group called the Canadian Covid Society was launched on Wednesday. Its co-founders say the organization is needed because public health agencies have given up on COVID-19 prevention and awareness campaigns.
“I feel that somehow we are filling a void that public health has left,” explained Dr. Joe Vipond, one of the society’s five co-founders, at a press conference.
In his home province of Alberta, “there is virtually no mention of COVID. There is no mention of long COVID. It really fell off the radar for a lot of public health at this point,” said Dr. Vipond, who is an emergency physician in Calgary.
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New Canadian Covid Society aims to address long-term effects
A national non-profit group called the Canadian Covid Society launched on Wednesday, with co-founders saying the organization is needed as public health agencies have pulled back on COVID-19 prevention measures and awareness campaigns.
“I feel in some ways we’re filling a gap where public health has left open,” Dr. Joe Vipond, one of the society’s five co-founders, said at a news conference.
In his home province of Alberta, “there’s basically no mention of COVID. There’s no mention of long COVID. It’s really fallen off the radar for a lot of public health at this point,” said Vipond, who is an emergency physician in Calgary.
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Canadian Covid Society launches to address long-term effects, prevent further illness
A national non-profit group called the Canadian Covid Society launched on Wednesday, with co-founders saying the organization is needed as public health agencies have pulled back on COVID-19 prevention measures and awareness campaigns.
“I feel in some ways we’re filling a gap where public health has left open,” Dr. Joe Vipond, one of the society’s five co-founders, said at a news conference.
In his home province of Alberta, “there’s basically no mention of COVID. There’s no mention of long COVID. It’s really fallen off the radar for a lot of public health at this point,” said Vipond, who is an emergency physician in Calgary.
“While the acute phase of the pandemic has ended, the virus continues to cause significant chronic illness,” the Canadian Covid Society’s website says.
COVID-19 was the third leading cause of death across Canada in 2022, behind heart disease and cancer, it says.
“It still continues to be a stressor on our health system up to this present day. It is contributing to poor health and excess deaths,” said Dr. Kashif Pirzada, another co-founder of the society.
Comments closedTopic: measlesView all posts for the topic: measles
Four provinces confirm measles cases, including rare case in fully vaccinated man
Seventeen cases of measles have been confirmed in Quebec, Ontario, Saskatchewan and British Columbia — more than half of those in the Montreal area, while one Ontario case has been linked to a high school.
Quebec public health director Dr. Luc Boileau confirmed 10 cases on Monday, almost all of them involving children and making Montreal the country’s epicentre. He said only three of the cases were linked to travel outside of the country, indicating community spread in and around the city.
Public Health Ontario confirmed five cases of measles and said all but one involved travel.
Comments closedTopic: QuebecView all posts for the topic: Quebec
Quebec urges measles vaccination to prevent spread of highly contagious disease
Quebec public health officials are urging people to get themselves and their young children vaccinated for measles, a highly contagious disease that is making a comeback several years after its eradication.
Quebec’s public health director Luc Boileau, Montreal public health director Mylene Drouin, and pediatrician, microbiologist and infectious disease specialist Caroline Quach-Thanh are holding a news conference in Montreal Monday afternoon.
So far about 10 cases have been detected in the province, mainly in Montreal, but Boileau warns that it could be just the beginning.
Comments closedTopic: British ColumbiaView all posts for the topic: British Columbia
1st case of measles reported in B.C. over the weekend: Health Ministry
One case of measles was reported in B.C. over the weekend, the provincial Ministry of Health confirmed in a statement Monday morning.
This weekend’s confirmed case is the first the province has recorded since 2019. As of Feb. 29, nine other cases of the disease have been confirmed across Canada.
B.C.’s Health Ministry announced the case in a statement warning locals to confirm their immunization records, especially before going on spring break trips.
“With measles outbreaks being reported internationally and spring break on the horizon, the provincial health officer, BC Centre for Disease Control and public health officials are reminding people in British Columbia to check their vaccination records before travelling to ensure they are protected,” the statement said.
Comments closedTopic: Nova ScotiaView all posts for the topic: Nova Scotia
Atteinte de la COVID longue, une Néo-Écossaise désire que la maladie soit mieux reconnue
Two months after contracting COVID-19, Beth Wood found that she had trouble concentrating, was easily irritable and still tired. While it is among the 3.5 million Canadians with long-term COVID according to Statistics Canada, access to disability benefits remains complex.
Beth Wood has been a social worker for forty years. Although the boss of the community centre where she works in Halifax offered her support to resume her work, she feels that she is constantly swimming against the current.
She is now considering applying for a long-term disability benefit, but she is concerned that the road is long.
Comments closedTopic: long COVIDView all posts for the topic: long COVID
Atteinte de la COVID longue, une Néo-Écossaise désire que la maladie soit mieux reconnue
Two months after contracting COVID-19, Beth Wood found that she had trouble concentrating and was easily irritated and always tired. While it is among the 3.5 million Canadians with long COVID, according to Statistics Canada, access to disability benefits remains complex.
Beth Wood has been a social worker for 40 years. Although the boss of the community centre where she works in Halifax offered her support to resume her work, she feels that she is constantly swimming against the current.
She is now considering applying for a long-term disability benefit, but she is concerned that the road is long.
Comments closedTopic: long COVIDView all posts for the topic: long COVID
Radio | Ontario Today – February 29, 2024: Is there hope for people living with long covid? Where have you turned for help?
Dr. Angela Cheung heads up a network of scientists and health practitioners studying long covid. She’s also a senior physician-scientist at University Health Network in…
Comments closedTopic: Ottawa-GatineauView all posts for the topic: Ottawa-Gatineau
Ottawa Public Health stats mainly stable for COVID-19, flu and RSV
Respiratory infections in Ottawa showed little change over the last week.
Ottawa Public Health reported 83 new confirmed cases and three new deaths during the period ending Feb. 27.
Last week, there were 130 new cases and two additional deaths.
This week’s reading brought the total number of Ottawa cases to 98,254 since the pandemic began in 2020, while 1,230 people have died.
The health agency’s weekly respiratory infections dashboard showed 12 new hospitalizations for flu patients in the seven days ending Feb. 24, for a total of 199 this season. The report described flu levels as very high, the same description as last week’s data.
The report showed 21 new hospitalizations for COVID-19, for a total of 1,064, and three more hospitalizations for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). The COVID-19 and RSV results were described as “moderate.”
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