A study aimed at countering online misinformation finds that health measures taken by governments to protect against COVID-19 helped save lives and reduce the number of people hospitalized in 2020.
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Topic: PaxlovidView all posts for the topic: Paxlovid
Once touted as a COVID-19 ‘game changer,’ Paxlovid is now a question mark for clinicians
If you catch the virus behind COVID-19 and you’re at a high risk of serious illness, there’s one major tool in a physician’s arsenal to keep you out of hospital: Paxlovid.
Pfizer’s antiviral drug was hailed as life-saving when it burst onto the scene midway through the pandemic. Clinical trials, conducted on people who’d never been vaccinated, showed it protected those vulnerable individuals from becoming dangerously sick, with a nearly 90 per cent reduction in the risk of hospitalization and death.
Comments closedTopic: 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
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.
Comments closedTopic: TorontoView all posts for the topic: Toronto
Toronto may be past its flu peak, but COVID-19 remains high, public health agency says
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.
Comments closedTopic: OntarioView all posts for the topic: Ontario
Arguments begin in proposed class action against 304 long-term care homes
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.
Comments closedTopic: vaccinesView all posts for the topic: vaccines
A spring COVID-19 booster? NACI has released updated guidelines
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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Older, immunocompromised people may get COVID-19 vaccine dose in spring, NACI says
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.
Comments closedCalls 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.
Comments closedTopic: Nova ScotiaView all posts for the topic: Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia Health changes COVID-19 rapid test supplier over expiry dates
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.
Comments closedTopic: rapid testsView all posts for the topic: rapid tests
Health Canada ignored warning signs before Ottawa spent billions on BTNX rapid tests
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.
Continue readingHealth Canada ignored warning signs before Ottawa spent billions on BTNX rapid tests
Comments closed Topic: AlbertaView all posts for the topic: Alberta
Latest COVID-19 variant wrestles its way to the top in Alberta
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.
Comments closedTopic: anti-vaxxersView all posts for the topic: anti-vaxxers
Non, les vaccins contre la COVID-19 n’ont pas fait 17 millions de morts
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.
Comments closedTopic: British ColumbiaView all posts for the topic: British Columbia
Interior Health drops all COVID-19 rapid tests at facilities
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.”
Comments closedTopic: 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
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.
Comments closedTopic: Nova ScotiaView all posts for the topic: Nova Scotia
Sydney doctor calls for higher public flu vaccination rates to ease ER waits
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.”
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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
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.
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