📣 The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario has initiated a consultation on infection prevention and control (IPAC). Do you want healthcare workers to wear N95 respirators? Would it be safer with HEPA filters in healthcare settings? Let them know!
Comments closedTag: human rights
Topic: AlbertaView all posts for the topic: Alberta
Edmonton judges dismiss appeal by parents; Alberta school boards may not enforce their own masking mandates
A panel of Alberta appeals court judges has dismissed an appeal by parents of five immunocompromised Alberta kids.
Lawyers for the families, known only by initials, had argued the children’s Charter rights were violated in 2022 when the province stopped masking requirements and barred school boards from enforcing their own masking mandates.
Comments closedTopic: human rightsView all posts for the topic: human rights
‘Heart breaks’: Advocates say new disability benefit still leaves people in poverty
Advocates say a disability benefit that was supposed to be a historic move to lift people out of poverty turned out to be a disappointment in the federal budget.
The new Canada Disability Benefit will provide a maximum of $2,400 a year—or $200 a month — for low-income people with disabilities.
The benefit is expected to be given to about 600,000 people and won’t kick in until July 2025.
Comments closedTopic: United KingdomView all posts for the topic: United Kingdom
Cost of private Covid jabs risks widening health inequalities, experts warn
Experts and patient groups have warned that the high cost of private Covid vaccinations could exacerbate health inequalities and leave those more at risk from the virus without a vital line of defence.
Both high street chain Boots and pharmacies that partner with the company Pharmadoctor are now offering Covid jabs to those not eligible for a free vaccination through the NHS, with the former charging almost £100 for the Pfizer/BioNTech jab.
While Pharmadoctor says each pharmacy sets its own prices, it suggests the Pfizer/BioNTech jab will set customers back £75-£85, while the latest Novavax jab will cost about £45-£55.
Comments closedTopic: IrelandView all posts for the topic: Ireland
‘Long Covid’ sick pay scheme to end in move that will impact 120 healthcare workers
A dedicated sick pay scheme for people suffering from the effects of “long Covid” is due to end in two weeks’ time in a move which will affect around 120 healthcare workers.
In July 2022 the Government introduced a temporary scheme to provide special leave with pay for eligible staff suffering with the symptoms of long Covid, such as fatigue and exhaustion. While the scheme was previously extended following approval by the Department of Public Expenditure, it will now end on March 31st. The Department of Public Expenditure has told the Department of Health that no further extensions will be granted.
Comments closedTopic: United KingdomView all posts for the topic: United Kingdom
Long Covid: Health staff go to court for compensation
Nearly 70 healthcare workers with long Covid have taken their fight to the High Court to try to sue the NHS and other employers for compensation.
The staff, from England and Wales, believe they first caught Covid at work during the pandemic and say they were not properly protected from the virus.
Many of them say they are left with life-changing disabilities and are likely to lose income as a result.
The Department of Health said “there are lessons to be learnt” from Covid.
The group believe they were not provided with adequate personal protective equipment (PPE) at work, which includes eye protection, gloves, gowns and aprons.
Comments closedTopic: the pandemic is not overView all posts for the topic: the pandemic is not over
COVID Isn’t Going Anywhere. Masking Up Could Save My Life.
The answers lie in poop. Based on the latest national sample of wastewater taken on January 13, 2024, the concentration of the SARS-Cov-2 virus is 1,132 copies/mL of sewage, an alarming increase compared to 280 copies/mL six months ago. This is one sign that cases of COVID infections have been rising, resulting in more hospitalizations, deaths, and people developing long COVID.
Like millions of other high-risk people who are service workers, older, chronically ill, disabled, or immunocompromised, I have done everything I can to remain as safe as possible. Due to neuromuscular disability and respiratory failure, my chances of surviving an infection are slim to none. With the latest JN.1 variant likely even more contagious – or better practiced at evading immune system defenses – than previous ones, I wonder if this is the surge when I will become infected, which is terrifying.
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: activismView all posts for the topic: activism
Long Covid advocates face challenges, potential discrimination with billboard campaigns
Covid-19 is still infecting and reinfecting millions of people around the world — causing more and more people to develop Long Covid. But public health and government agencies worldwide have failed to warn people about Long Covid and support those affected, and still aren’t effectively funding research to find effective treatments.
In response to the lack of support, people with Long Covid in the U.S., Canada, U.K., and Europe are buying billboard ads to raise awareness about the disease and promote the urgent need for clinical trials. These billboards aim to do the job of public health authorities, advocates who spoke to The Sick Times explained.
Comments closedTopic: labour rightsView all posts for the topic: labour rights
Camp operator penalized $206,000 after B.C. worker found dead of COVID-19
An industrial camp operator has been fined over $200,000 for failing to implement COVID-19 safety measures after a worker died of the virus in their Dawson Creek, B.C., room.
The WorkSafeBC fine, handed down in September 2023 but released to the public last week, penalizes Horizon North Camp & Catering & Dexterra Group Inc. $206,346.90 for failing to implement a number of procedures.
Those include failing to enforce physical distancing, temperature checks, reporting symptoms, isolating workers and seeking medical attention.
Comments closedTopic: human rightsView all posts for the topic: human rights
Physicians’ Refusal to Wear Masks to Protect Vulnerable Patients—An Ethical Dilemma for the Medical Profession
On May 11, 2023, the US federal government put an end to the COVID-19–related public health emergency. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) no longer recommends routine universal masking in most health care settings. Many clinicians and staff at hospitals, clinics, and nursing homes around the country have stopped regularly wearing masks. A conflict might arise when patients who are immunocompromised or have other risk factors that increase their susceptibility to COVID-19 complications seek health care and encounter an unmasked clinician. Individuals who have such conditions are considered disabled under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Those disabled patients nowadays must embark on a “personal crusade for public health” to have their needs met.
Comments closedTopic: New BrunswickView all posts for the topic: New Brunswick
COVID-19 : le gouvernement Higgs poursuivi pour son manque de communication en français
A citizen who believes that his language rights were violated during the COVID-19 media availability takes legal action against the Province of New Brunswick, the…
Comments closedTopic: labour rightsView all posts for the topic: labour rights
Arizonans can now receive workers comp benefits for getting Covid-19 on the job
In a groundbreaking development, Arizonans can now apply for worker’s compensation if they contract COVID-19 while on the job. This landmark decision stems from a widow’s determined fight to secure worker’s compensation following her husband’s tragic demise due to COVID-19.
Court documents unequivocally state that if someone contracts COVID-19 at their workplace, they are entitled to file for worker’s compensation. An essential detail to note is that if a worker succumbs to the virus, their next of kin will receive financial support.
Comments closedTopic: OntarioView all posts for the topic: Ontario
Ontario government oversight of long-term care homes ‘largely collapsed’ during pandemic, ombudsman finds
Comments closedWhat we uncovered was an oversight system that was strained before the pandemic, and proved to be wholly incapable and unprepared to handle the additional stresses posed by COVID-19.