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Category: News

Topic: masksView all posts for the topic: masks

Masks work, our comprehensive review has found

Published May 22, 2024

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Published by: The Conversation
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By Trish Greenhalgh, C Raina MacIntyre, David Fisman

When a Texan farm worker caught bird flu from cattle recently, social media was abuzz with rumours. While bird flu is not a human pandemic, scientists and policymakers the world over are keen to prepare as best they can for when such a pandemic emerges – a tricky task, given that science is messy, policy must be pragmatic and people’s values don’t always align.

It’s time for masks to enter the chat. At the beginning of a pandemic caused by a novel or newly mutated virus, there may be no vaccine, no firm knowledge about how bad things will get and no specific treatment. Slowing transmission until more is known will be critical.

Getting most people to wear a mask could nip the outbreak in the bud, preventing a pandemic or lessening its impact. Wearing a mask is inconvenient, but not as inconvenient as lockdowns.

Continue readingMasks work, our comprehensive review has found
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Topic: New BrunswickView all posts for the topic: New Brunswick

Two more COVID deaths, another killed by the flu: province

Published May 22, 2024

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Published by: Telegraph-Journal
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By Andrew Waugh

Two New Brunswickers died from COVID-19 and one was killed by influenza between May 5-11, according to new data from the province.

All three were 65 or older.

Eight people required hospital treatment for COVID between May 5-11; none needed intensive care. There were three lab-confirmed COVID outbreaks, including one in a nursing home and two in “other facilities.”

Continue readingTwo more COVID deaths, another killed by the flu: province
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Topic: New BrunswickView all posts for the topic: New Brunswick

Winding down of free COVID-19 rapid test kit access in N.B. ‘an abdication of what public health is supposed to be,’ says epidemiologist

Published May 21, 2024

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Published by: CTV News
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By Nick Moore

We know that COVID-19 is not an equal-opportunity disease, we’ve known this for four years. COVID tends to have a disproportionately high impact on people who are lower on the socio-economic ladder; people who don’t have the luxury of working from home, people who are doing essential work, people who because of their income are living in more crowded conditions. These are all risk factors and they’re all socio-economically tied. So to say, ‘Yeah, there’s this tool that will keep you safe if you have enough money to pay for it,’ I think is an abdication of what public health is supposed to be, which is public.

— Colin Furness, infection control epidemiologist and associate professor at the University of Toronto
Continue readingWinding down of free COVID-19 rapid test kit access in N.B. ‘an abdication of what public health is supposed to be,’ says epidemiologist
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Topic: Cue HealthView all posts for the topic: Cue Health

San Diego COVID-19 testmaker Cue Health is shutting down

Published May 21, 2024

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Published by: The San Diego Union-Tribune
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By Natallie Rocha

Cue Health, the once high-flying San [Diego] biotech supplying rapid COVID-19 test kits to the NBA and others, is shutting down this week.

Cue’s closure comes a week after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration warned consumers to throw out any of its COVID-19 test kits because they could give false results. The San Diego firm said it has stopped selling the COVID-19 tests, which was its only fully FDA-approved commercial product.

Continue readingSan Diego COVID-19 testmaker Cue Health is shutting down
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Topic: AlbertaView all posts for the topic: Alberta

Alberta premier’s support for town hall questioning COVID vaccines worries experts

Published May 20, 2024

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Published by: Global News
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By Carolyn Kury de Castillo

The issue is not that there is a difference of opinion here. It’s that there is a huge amount of science that shows that these vaccines save lives and they are overwhelmingly safe so to claim otherwise becomes a statement of misinformation.

— Blake Murdoch, senior research associate with the Health Law Institute at the University of Alberta’s Faculty of Law
Continue readingAlberta premier’s support for town hall questioning COVID vaccines worries experts
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Topic: climate crisisView all posts for the topic: climate crisis

This wildfire season, changes are coming to better inform people about smoke hazards

Published May 20, 2024

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Published by: The Canadian Press
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By Sonja Puzic

Last year’s record-breaking wildfire season forced Canadians to become familiar with the scale of air pollution as hazardous smoke drifted across the country.

Environment Canada’s colour-coded Air Quality Health Index, designed to help people understand health risks associated with contaminated air, was closely watched under hazy, orange skies that stretched beyond the Canada-U.S. border.

But the AQHI, measured on a scale from one to 10+, was not calculated the same way in all provinces and some people were unsure how index values applied to their daily activities.

Environment Canada hopes several changes being made this year will improve how air quality-related health risks are communicated and understood by the public.

Continue readingThis wildfire season, changes are coming to better inform people about smoke hazards
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Topic: SingaporeView all posts for the topic: Singapore

Singapore facing new Covid-19 wave; vaccination recommended especially for seniors: Ong Ye Kung

Published May 18, 2024

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Published by: The Straits Times
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By Chin Soo Fang

Singapore is seeing a new Covid-19 wave, with rising cases of infection in the last two weeks, said Health Minister Ong Ye Kung on May 18.

“We are at the beginning part of the wave where it is steadily rising,” said Mr Ong. “So I would say the wave should peak in the next two to four weeks, which means between mid- and end of June.”

The Ministry of Health (MOH) said that to protect hospital bed capacity and as a precaution, public hospitals have been asked to reduce their non-urgent elective surgery cases and move suitable patients to facilities like transitional care facilities or back home through Mobile Inpatient Care@Home.

Continue readingSingapore facing new Covid-19 wave; vaccination recommended especially for seniors: Ong Ye Kung
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Topic: variantsView all posts for the topic: variants

New virus variants threaten a summer Covid-19 wave, but experts say the risk remains uncertain

Published May 17, 2024

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Published by: CNN
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By Deidre McPhillips

Covid-19 levels are about the lowest they’ve ever been in the United States, but another new crop of virus variants once again threatens to disrupt the downward trend as the country heads into summer.

KP.2 — one of the so-called FLiRT variants — has overtaken JN.1 to become the dominant coronavirus variant in the United States, according to data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Data through May 11 shows that it’s responsible for more than a quarter of cases in the country, which is nearly twice as many as JN.1. A related variant, KP.1.1, has caused about 7% of cases, CDC data shows.

Continue readingNew virus variants threaten a summer Covid-19 wave, but experts say the risk remains uncertain
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Topic: Hamilton RegionView all posts for the topic: Hamilton Region

Ontario sees first measles death in more than a decade after young child dies

Published May 17, 2024

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Published by: CTV News
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By Codi Wilson

A young child has died of measles in Ontario, marking the first death in the province from the highly contagious virus in more than 10 years, a Public Health Ontario report confirms.

The child, who was under the age of five, was not immunized against the virus, according to the report, which was published on Thursday.

The report also confirms this is the first measles death in the province in more than a decade.

Public Health Ontario says that there have been 22 confirmed cases of measles reported in the province in 2024. Of those individuals, 13 were children and nine were adults. Four of the adults were previously immunized, two were unimmunized, and two had an unknown immunization status.

Continue readingOntario sees first measles death in more than a decade after young child dies
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Topic: New BrunswickView all posts for the topic: New Brunswick

COVID-19 rapid tests will stop being distributed once supplies run out: N.B. government

Published May 16, 2024

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Published by: CTV News
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By Leigha Kaiser

COVID-19 rapid tests in New Brunswick will stop being distributed through community-based distribution sites when the current supply runs out, which the province says will likely be by the end of next month.

A news release from the New Brunswick government Thursday says, aside from a few specific groups, testing hasn’t been recommended for the general public since March 2023. Separate testing guidelines remain in place for certain settings, such as special care homes.

“However, our guidance has changed throughout the pandemic as the virus has evolved,” said Dr. Yves Léger, the province’s acting chief medical officer of health. “Testing will still be recommended for certain groups but, for the general public, the focus is on staying home when you are ill. That remains the most important measure to take.”

Continue readingCOVID-19 rapid tests will stop being distributed once supplies run out: N.B. government
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Topic: North CarolinaView all posts for the topic: North Carolina

North Carolina lawmakers push bill to ban most public mask wearing, citing crime

Published May 15, 2024

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Published by: The Associated Press
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By Makiya Seminera

Republican lawmakers in North Carolina are pushing forward with their plan to repeal a pandemic-era law that allowed the wearing of masks in public for health reasons, a move spurred in part by demonstrations against the war in Gaza that have included masked protesters camped out on college campuses.

The legislation cleared the Senate on Wednesday in a 30-15 vote along party lines despite several attempts by state Senate Democrats to change the bill. The bill, which would raise penalties for someone who wears a mask while committing a crime, including arrested protesters, could still be altered as it heads back to the House.

Opponents of the bill say it risks the health of those masking for safety reasons. But those backing the legislation say it is a needed response to the demonstrations, including those at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill that escalated to police clashes and arrests. The bill also further criminalizes the blockage of roads or emergency vehicles for a protest, which has occurred during pro-Palestinian demonstrations in Raleigh and Durham.

Continue readingNorth Carolina lawmakers push bill to ban most public mask wearing, citing crime
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Topic: mortality rateView all posts for the topic: mortality rate

Four Years On, Covid-19 Remains a Worse Killer Than the Flu, US Study Finds

Published May 15, 2024

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Published by: Bloomberg
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By Jason Gale

We did the 2024 Covid-versus-flu rematch thinking that we may find that risk of death in Covid may have sufficiently declined to become equal with the risk of death from flu. But the reality remains that Covid carries a higher risk of death than the flu. […]

Overall, I think this means that we still need to take Covid seriously. Trivializing it as an inconsequential ‘cold,’ as we often hear, doesn’t mesh or align with reality.

— Dr. Ziyad Al-Aly
Continue readingFour Years On, Covid-19 Remains a Worse Killer Than the Flu, US Study Finds
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COVID virus can infect your eyes and damage visionIllustration of an eye with a SARS-CoV-2 virus particle; with blue, black and coral pink colours. Illustration by Monika Jurczyk / Adobe.
Topic: vision lossView all posts for the topic: vision loss

COVID virus can infect your eyes and damage vision

Published May 15, 2024

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Published by: Futurity
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By Rochita Ghosh / University of Missouri

The virus that causes COVID-19 can breach the protective blood-retinal barrier, leading to potential long-term consequences in the eye, new research shows.

The blood-retinal barrier is designed to protect our vision from infections by preventing microbial pathogens from reaching the retina where they could trigger an inflammatory response with potential vision loss.

Continue readingCOVID virus can infect your eyes and damage vision
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Topic: British ColumbiaView all posts for the topic: British Columbia

BC health advocates demand return of mandatory masks in healthcare

Published May 14, 2024

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Published by: The Peak
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By Yashita Dhillon

In response to April’s removal of mandatory mask mandates in healthcare settings, BC’s health advocacy group DoNoHarm BC, joined by Protect Our Province BC and Masks4EastVan, are leading a campaign to urge the provincial government to reinstate these protections. The groups say that BC health authorities have ignored warnings about ongoing COVID-19 risks and other respiratory threats like measles and tuberculosis.

The decision to remove mask mandates in healthcare settings was announced by the Ministry of Health, “the peak of the respiratory illness season has passed.” Though COVID-19 levels typically lessen in the spring, COVID-19 has not been established as a seasonal illness.

The Peak reached out to Dr. Karina Zeidler who organizes with DoNoHarm BC and is the co-founder of Protect Our Province BC for more information. Zeidler referenced a research article from BC Medical Journal which noted that “for some of these most vulnerable patients, the air in the hospital can be deadlier than the diagnosis that brought them in.” This is due to hospital acquired infections, which can then lead to COVID-19 deaths.

Continue readingBC health advocates demand return of mandatory masks in healthcare
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Topic: OntarioView all posts for the topic: Ontario

Number of Ontario measles cases nears 10-year high as Peel Region confirms new case

Published May 14, 2024

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Published by: CTV News
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By Bryann Aguilar

Health officials in Peel Region have confirmed a Mississauga resident has contracted measles, as the total number of cases in the province approaches a 10-year high.

In a news release on Tuesday, Peel Public Health confirmed its second case of measles this year. Officials did not disclose how the man got infected but provided locations where the public may have been exposed.

Those who were at Silver Creek Convenience and Health Care Medical Clinic on May 10 between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m., as well as Trillium Health Partners Mississauga Site Emergency Room at 9:15 a.m. on May 10 and 6:15 p.m. on May 11, are being advised to contact Peel Public Health at 905-799-7700 immediately.

Continue readingNumber of Ontario measles cases nears 10-year high as Peel Region confirms new case
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Topic: British ColumbiaView all posts for the topic: British Columbia

BC Supreme Court rules in favour of PHO’s COVID-19 vaccination mandate for health-care workers

Published May 14, 2024

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Published by: CityNews
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By Charlie Carey, Dean Recksiedler

Health-care workers who pushed back against being forced to get vaccinated against COVID-19 or face losing their jobs have lost in the BC Supreme Court.

In a ruling released Monday, presiding judge Justice Simon R. Coval says the provincial health officer was right in mandating COVID-19 vaccinations for health-care workers.

The three cases in question were brought to court by a nurse practitioner and two doctors, with all three saying they didn’t want to get the shot.

Continue readingBC Supreme Court rules in favour of PHO’s COVID-19 vaccination mandate for health-care workers
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Topic: climate crisisView all posts for the topic: climate crisis

Risk of wildfire smoke in Ottawa low — for now: Environment Canada

Published May 13, 2024

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Published by: Ottawa Citizen
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By Blair Crawford

Smoke from wildfires in Western Canada will soon be drifting high overhead, but it poses no health risk in Eastern Ontario, says Environment Canada.

“Taking a look at our guidance and the weather patterns this week and the way things are panning out, it doesn’t look like Eastern Ontario needs to be concerned about its air quality at this time,” Trudy Kidd, a warning preparedness meteorologist with Environment Canada, said Monday.

“At best, people might see some haze in the skies in the coming days as the forest fire smoke makes its way through and disperses aloft, but from what we can tell at this time, the particulate matter — and that’s what’s of concern when it comes to forest fires — we’re expecting it to stay aloft,” she said.

Continue readingRisk of wildfire smoke in Ottawa low — for now: Environment Canada
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Topic: OntarioView all posts for the topic: Ontario

Ontario will need tens of thousands of nurses and PSWs by 2032: document

Published May 13, 2024

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Published by: Global News / The Canadian Press
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By Allison Jones

Ontario will need 33,200 more nurses and 50,853 more personal support workers by 2032, the government projects — figures it tried to keep secret but were obtained by The Canadian Press.

The government recently won a fight in front of the Information and Privacy Commissioner to keep those figures under wraps after denying access to them to Global News following a freedom-of-information request from the outlet.

But the same FOI office made the information available to The Canadian Press through a separate request, a situation critics say exposes the frailties and arbitrariness of the access-to-information system.

Continue readingOntario will need tens of thousands of nurses and PSWs by 2032: document
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