Residents of Haines Junction, Yukon, have had an early warning system to track COVID-19 and other pathogens for almost a year — and it’s showing an uptick in COVID-19 this fall.
Comments closedTag: Public Health Agency of Canada
Topic: vaccinesView all posts for the topic: vaccines
Will updated COVID vaccines work against latest variant? Canadian scientists monitor global research
Health Canada is currently reviewing applications for Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech’s new mRNA vaccines, developed against the dominant XBB.1.5 variant ahead of a vaccination campaign set for the fall.
Comments closedTopic: wastewater monitoringView all posts for the topic: wastewater monitoring
What’s the future of wastewater testing for COVID‑19?
Wastewater surveillance became an important tool for detecting COVID-19 outbreaks in communities throughout the pandemic, and it continues to be used in search for coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 as well as other pathogens.
But it’s unclear whether current levels of government funding to monitor wastewater for SARS-CoV-2 will continue beyond next year. Experts are calling on the federal government to create a standardized system for wastewater surveillance to bolster and replace the patchwork being used today.
Comments closedTopic: N95 respiratorsView all posts for the topic: N95 respirators
Ontario, Alberta change policy limiting N95 masks as health-care workers demand greater access
At least two provinces have bowed to union pressure to let some health professionals use specialized respirator face masks when treating COVID-19 patients, sparking concern among infection-control experts this will undermine health workers’ trust in their advice.
Alberta and Ontario have reached agreements with unions to allow some health-care workers to use N95 respirator masks if they feel it is necessary. Nova Scotia’s largest nursing union is now calling on provincial officials to do the same.
Comments closed