Gill Deacon was a familiar voice to CBC Radio listeners in Toronto, but that all came crashing down when she started suffering mysterious and debilitating symptoms. The former Here & Now host opens up about her long COVID diagnosis and how she found her way back to feeling great.
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Topic: MontrealView all posts for the topic: Montreal
Jewish General Hospital reinstates mask mandate as flu season kicks in early
The Jewish General Hospital has reinstated a mask mandate for medical staff as the flu season has begun much earlier than usual this year, prompting fears that some elderly and vulnerable individuals might not get their vaccines on time.
“It’s not a bad thing to reinstate wearing masks in a hospital because you have sick people by default and you have high-risk patients,” Dr. Karl Weiss, chief of the division of infectious diseases at the Jewish General, told The Gazette.
Comments closedTopic: AlbertaView all posts for the topic: Alberta
Alberta doctors say province’s attempt to save on COVID shots could cost more
EDMONTON – Alberta doctors say the province’s effort to save money on COVID-19 vaccines could end up costing taxpayers far more in public health-care costs.
Dr. Brian Wirzba, head of the Alberta Medical Association, which represents doctors in the province, says there’s still time for the government to improve public communication about vaccines and make them more accessible.
“In my clinic talking to patients, they’re still confused about how they could even get it,” said Wirzba, who practises internal medicine in Edmonton.
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Some Albertans frustrated, Health Link overwhelmed as COVID-19 shots roll out to general public
Some Albertans struggled to book COVID-19 shots as the province’s fall immunization campaign opened to the general public on Monday.
By late afternoon, Health Link had been flooded with more than 10,000 calls related to the COVID vaccine alone and a spokesperson for Primary Care Alberta confirmed the provincial health information phone line was facing extremely high call volumes.
Comments closedTopic: Northwest TerritoriesView all posts for the topic: Northwest Territories
Health authority firms up Yellowknife flu and Covid-19 clinic dates
Walk-in clinics for the flu and Covid-19 vaccine open in Yellowknife later in October, the NWT’s health authority confirmed in a schedule issued late last week.
Comments closedTopic: TorontoView all posts for the topic: Toronto
Toronto to develop wastewater surveillance program for FIFA World Cup
TORONTO – Toronto Public Health is developing a wastewater surveillance program to detect any potential spread of diseases during the FIFA World Cup.
Toronto’s new Medical Officer of Health Dr. Michelle Murti said the pilot will collect sewage samples in areas where fans congregate and test them for infections such as COVID-19, influenza and RSV.
Murti said the public health unit is looking into whether other illnesses, such as measles, could also be monitored in wastewater given the large international audience expected next summer.
Comments closedTopic: PEIView all posts for the topic: PEI
P.E.I. hospitals bring back mask mandates as experts warn of viral surge across Canada
Mandatory masking is back at health facilities across Prince Edward Island as public health officials work to reduce the spread of respiratory illnesses.
The newest numbers from Canada’s respiratory virus surveillance report show that during the week ending Oct. 4, COVID-19 activity was increasing on the Island, with about 20 per cent of tests coming back positive. Nationally, the average was under 10 per cent.
Comments closedTopic: British ColumbiaView all posts for the topic: British Columbia
Here’s when you can get flu and COVID-19 vaccines in B.C.
As respiratory illness season approaches, B.C. will begin rolling out its annual vaccination campaign for COVID-19 and influenza.
British Columbians began receiving notifications with a link to book vaccine appointments on Oct. 7 and they will continue to be sent out into November.
Appointments for both influenza and COVID-19 shots will begin on Oct. 14, starting with those at highest risk of severe illness.
Both vaccines are available for free for anyone older than six months.
Comments closedTopic: PEIView all posts for the topic: PEI
Masks will be required in all Health P.E.I. facilities starting Oct. 14
Officials with Health P.E.I. say people will have to wear masks inside all of the provincial health authority’s facilities beginning next week.
The policy is being put in place in response to the growing presence of respiratory illnesses on the Island.
Lara MacMurdo, director of occupational health, safety and wellness with Health P.E.I., said rates of respiratory illness are often higher this time of year.
Comments closedTopic: OntarioView all posts for the topic: Ontario
Ontario declares measles outbreak over after nearly a year of spread
Ontario’s measles outbreak, which sickened more than 2,300 people over the course of nearly a year, highlighted the consequences of declining vaccination rates and led to the death of a newborn, has been declared over.
Public Health Ontario and the province’s top doctor said Thursday the outbreak ended on Monday because it had been 46 days since any new reported cases — twice the maximum incubation period for measles.
“In Ontario, the last confirmed case developed a rash on August 21, 2025, following several months of steadily declining case numbers,” Dr. Kieran Moore, the province’s chief medical officer of health, said in an emailed statement.
Comments closedTopic: Nova ScotiaView all posts for the topic: Nova Scotia
Nova Scotians can now book COVID-19, flu vaccine appointments
Nova Scotia residents can now book appointments for the COVID-19 and influenza vaccines.
The Nova Scotia government says the free vaccines are recommended for everyone aged six months and older.
Nova Scotians can book an appointment with their family doctor, nurse practitioner or family practice nurse, or at their local pharmacy, public health office or mobile unit.
Comments closedTopic: QuebecView all posts for the topic: Quebec
Quebec launches fall vaccination campaign: COVID-19 shots no longer free for all
Quebecers can now book their appointments as the province’s fall vaccination campaign is underway but unlike previous years the COVID-19 shot is no longer free for all.
Unless an individual is part of a high-risk group, the Association québécoise des pharmaciens propriétaires (AQPP) had said that the cost for a vaccine dose will range between $150 and $180.
The COVID-19 vaccine remains free of charge to:
- Immunocompromised individuals or have chronic illnesses
- People aged 65 and older
- On dialysis
- Residents of long-term care facilities (CHSLDs)
- Private seniors’ residences (RPAs)
- Adults living in remote and isolated areas
- Healthcare workers
- Pregnant individuals
Topic: long COVIDView all posts for the topic: long COVID
Long COVID exhibition co-produced with community opens at the Museum of Vancouver
One in nine Canadians have experienced Long COVID symptoms, ranging from mild to debilitating. A new exhibition at the Museum of Vancouver, co-produced by Simon Fraser University’s Faculty of Health Sciences, invites visitors into the often-invisible world of those living with the life-altering effects of COVID-19.
Long COVID is a chronic condition affecting one or more organ systems that occurs after a SARS-CoV-2 infection and lingers for at least three months as a continuous, relapsing and remitting, or progressive disease state. Despite its prevalence, the condition remains widely misunderstood, under-researched, and stigmatized.
The Living with Long COVID exhibition brings these realities to light and offers a unique opportunity to intimately understand Long COVID through the eyes of those living it.
Comments closedTopic: researchView all posts for the topic: research
COVID ages women’s blood vessels, according to a study
COVID-19 causes women’s blood vessels to age prematurely, according to an international study involving two researchers from Université Laval. The disease should therefore be considered an additional risk factor in cardiovascular health analyses. Specifically, in those who have developed severe symptoms, they warn.
The aging of blood vessels results in greater rigidity, which can increase the risk of certain cardiovascular diseases.
“The heart must work a little harder to propel blood through the arterial system, and this causes variations in pressure that can damage sensitive organs, including the brain and kidneys,” explains Catherine Fortier, a kinesiologist and researcher in vascular aging at the CHU de Québec-Université Laval.
Comments closedTopic: vaccinesView all posts for the topic: vaccines
COVID-19 vaccine campaigns launch across Canada for 2025-26
Provinces and territories are starting to roll out updated vaccines to protect people from COVID-19.
The Public Health Agency of Canada’s immunization guide says COVID vaccines have been shown to be effective at preventing severe disease, including hospitalization and death and can decrease the risk of post-COVID-19 condition, or long COVID.
The vaccination campaign comes as COVID-19 cases in people going to emergency or urgent care for respiratory symptoms have increased. About 10 per cent of tests were positive for the week ending Sept. 20, up from 9.6 per cent the previous week, according to the federal respiratory virus snapshot.
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