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Tag: COVID-19

Some seniors infected with Omicron variants were more susceptible to reinfection, not less: McMaster study

In a sign that scientists still don’t fully understand how some COVID-19 variants manage to evade the immune system, a new Ontario study has found that retirement- and long-term-care home residents infected during the first Omicron wave were 20 times more likely to get reinfected by the virus than those who avoided a prior infection.

The surprising finding by researchers at McMaster University runs counter to the prevailing wisdom that a previous COVID infection affords protection against future infections, at least in the older adults who participated in the study.

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Many long-covid symptoms linger even after two years, new study shows

People who endured even mild cases of covid-19 are at heightened risk two years later for lung problems, fatigue, diabetes and certain other health problems typical of long covid, according to a new study that casts fresh light on the virus’s true toll.

The analysis, published Monday in the journal Nature Medicine, is believed to be the first to document the extent to which an array of aftereffects that patients can develop — as part of the diffuse and sometimes debilitating syndrome known as long covid — linger beyond the initial months or year after they survived a coronavirus infection.

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COVID-19 boosts risks of health problems 2 years later, giant study of veterans says

“In the 3 months postinfection, people who’d had COVID-19 had higher rates of death and many health conditions including heart failure, diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, and depression.”

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Everyone Has The Right to Mask

Dozens of studies have shown that not only do N95 masks work on an individual level, but they lower transmission when people actually follow guidelines. Even the strongest critics of mask policies are forced to admit that masks themselves are effective.

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COVID-19 tied to dangerous blood clots in cancer patients

The risk of developing venous thromboembolisms—potentially serious blood clots in the veins—is elevated among cancer patients hospitalized with COVID-19 and taking anticancer drugs, according to a study yesterday in JAMA Oncology.

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How COVID-19 Changes the Immune System

In a paper published on August 18 in the journal Cell, scientists report that innate immune cells—a critical part of the immune system activated to battle COVID-19—remain altered for at least a year after infection. The finding suggests that these cells may play a role in some of the lingering symptoms associated with Long COVID, although more studies are needed to confirm that connection.

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‘Worst nightmare’: Family calls for stricter mask policies after vulnerable Ottawa woman contracts COVID in hospital

The family of an Ottawa woman already suffering from pneumonia and lung cancer is calling for stricter masking policies after she became infected with COVID while a patient at The Ottawa Hospital.

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L’OMS et les États-Unis aux aguets avec un nouveau variant

The World Health Organization and US health authorities announced on Friday that they were closely monitoring a new variant of the COVID-19 virus, although “for the time being, the potential impact of the many mutations in BA.2.86 is unknown.”

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Public health reset urgently required

“A hard public health reset is urgently required in Canada to protect the vulnerable and prevent the healthcare system from being overwhelmed by long COVID patients. Policymakers should immediately implement a pandemic action plan to save lives in the coming weeks and months.”

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CDC tracking new COVID variant BA.2.86 after highly mutated strain reported in Michigan

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Thursday it is tracking a recently discovered COVID-19 strain, BA.2.86, after a case of the highly mutated variant was discovered in Michigan.

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COVID-19 : une nouvelle vague s’approche avant que la dose de rappel soit disponible

There are warning signs that Canada is already entering its fall wave of COVID-19, but vaccine booster doses will likely not be available for several weeks.

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La vague estivale gagne les hôpitaux québécois

The summer wave of COVID-19 is being felt in Quebec hospitals, where there are nearly 560 patients who have contracted the virus, an increase of 30% over a week. The Legault government is not overly concerned, but will monitor the situation closely, especially the spread of the Eris variant.

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Federal agency no longer tracks how many public servants take special COVID leave

The government department in charge of managing labour relations with federal public servants is no longer keeping track of how many employees across 75 institutions are taking time off work under a special paid leave provision made widespread during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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New Zealand removes final COVID-19 restrictions

New Zealand’s government will lift all remaining COVID-19 requirements from midnight Tuesday, bringing an end to some of the toughest COVID-19 pandemic rules in the world more than three years after they were put in place.

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