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Showing posts from March, 2022

COVID-19 hospitalizations up again as Ontario logs more than 3,000 new cases despite limited testing

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Ontario reported 807 people hospitalized with COVID-19 on Thursday with 166 of those patients requiring intensive care.

What it's like to have aphasia, the 'devastating' language disorder Bruce Willis has

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There are over 100,000 Canadians living with aphasia, a communication disorder that affects the ability to understand and express language, according to the Aphasia Institute. Christine Patten is one of them.

COVID severity decreasing over time is most likely scenario as pandemic progresses, WHO says

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The World Health Organization has released an updated plan for COVID-19, laying out three possible scenarios for how the pandemic will evolve this year.

Do you need a 4th dose of a COVID-19 vaccine? There's no one-size-fits-all answer

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In multiple countries, fourth doses are being explored as a way to ward off waning immunity. So does that mean you should rush out and get another shot if the opportunity arises? Not necessarily.

U.S. FDA authorizes 4th dose of Pfizer COVID-19 shot for Americans 50 and up

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U.S. regulators have authorized a fourth dose of Pfizer-BioNTech's COVID-19 vaccine for Americans 50 and older because of concerns about waning immunity in the age group, the drugmakers said on Tuesday.

New Quebec health plan promises better access to care, improved working conditions for nurses

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On Tuesday morning, the CAQ government officially unveiled its plan to revamp its ailing health network with a promise to prioritize access to front-line services, eliminate mandatory overtime for nurses and reduce wait times in ERs.

Footage of therapists spooning and pinning down patient in B.C. trial for MDMA therapy prompts review

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Newly released videos that show two B.C. therapists cuddling, spooning, blindfolding and pinning down a distressed PTSD patient during clinical trials using MDMA have prompted a review of their work and fresh concerns about public safety.

Doctor shortage closes Red Lake, Ont., ER for 24 hours. Officials say it could happen elsewhere

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For what's believed to be the first time in at least 30 years, a hospital in northwestern Ontario had to close its emergency room this weekend due to a lack of available physicians, in another example the toll the doctor shortage is taking on care in the region.

First year of COVID-19 pandemic saw fewer Alberta stroke patients, more deaths, study finds

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The first year of the COVID-19 pandemic in Alberta saw fewer stroke patients, but a higher number of stroke-related deaths, according to new research.

Paralyzed man says he's risking his health because he can't afford medical supplies he needs to urinate

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A Toronto man who was paralyzed in a fall years ago finds himself struggling to pay for basic medical supplies he needs, including catheters. Advocates say thousands of Canadians with spinal cord injuries are in the same situation and governments need to step up and better fund medical equipment.

Quebec likely heading toward 6th wave of COVID-19, provincial public health director says

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In less than a week, 8,600 health-care workers have been absent mostly due to COVID-19, says Quebec's interim public health director Dr. Luc Boileau. 

Daughter pushes back on trespass notice at father's Ontario long-term care home

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A woman who filed complaints with Ontario’s Ministry of Long-Term Care says her father’s home served her with a trespass notice in retaliation. The home says it can’t comment on the matter because of an investigation into her alleged harassment of staff at the facility.

Tooth issues can cause life-threatening conditions, advocates say, as feds move on dental care

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If the Liberal-NDP agreement to create a national dental care program for low-income Canadians becomes a reality in the years ahead, advocates and health-care workers say it could help prevent dental health issues from spiraling into life-threatening conditions.

Feds announce another $2B to clear surgical backlogs, promise more money for future health transfers

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Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos announced Friday that the federal government will send another $2 billion to provinces and territories to help clear the health care backlog created by the years-long pandemic crisis.

WHO rejects Quebec's Medicago COVID-19 vaccine over company's tobacco ties

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Quebec's Medicago vaccine could still be considered for emergency use, says the WHO, pending policy discussions on dealing with potentially valid health products that are linked to the tobacco industry.

Long COVID among medical workers may have 'profound' impact on health care, study suggests

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A recent study out of Quebec looked at health-care workers who are grappling with life-altering long COVID impacts — which could jeopardize their ability to work while putting strain on the healthcare system, researchers say.

Quebec offers 2nd booster shot to seniors to prepare for spread of Omicron subvariant

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Residents of long-term care and retirement homes will be able to get another booster by early next week, said Dr. Luc Boileau, speaking at a news conference Wednesday.

Moderna says vaccine results for kids under 6 are encouraging, will file for authorization soon

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Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine works in babies, toddlers and preschoolers, the company announced Wednesday — and if regulators agree it could mean a chance to finally start vaccinating the youngest children by summer.

The COVID generation: How the pandemic is shaping the lives of teens around the world

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We asked teenagers from three countries how their lives have changed over the past two years. Here are their stories.

Turf wars, thieves and disaster tourists: Life at a Canadian field clinic on Poland-Ukraine border

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A small team of Canadian health care workers who volunteer their time in disaster zones around the world are on the ground in Ukraine and Poland aiding some of those trying to escape the war. CBC spent five days watching them work.

Everything we know about the Liberal-NDP dental care proposal

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A proposal in the new Liberal-NDP agreement to create a national dental care program for low-income Canadians could deliver the largest expansion of Canada’s public health care system in decades.

Doctors say Omicron subvariant a sign 'pandemic is not over yet'

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A more transmissible subvariant of the Omicron variant has emerged in Saskatchewan and doctors say it shows that the COVID-19 pandemic has not ended.

COVID-19 deaths strain South Korea's crematoriums, hospitals

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Health officials in South Korea have instructed crematories to burn more bodies per day and funeral homes to add more refrigerators to store the dead as families struggle with funeral arrangements amid a rise in COVID-19 deaths.

Liberals agree to launch dental care program in exchange for NDP support

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The Liberals have agreed to launch a new dental care program for low-income Canadians in exchange for the NDP supporting their government until 2025.

By Inuit, for Inuit: Qanuippitaa? National Inuit Health Survey gets underway in Inuvialuit region

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A national Inuit-led health survey is underway in the Inuvialuit region of northern N.W.T. “We are looking to really understand from an Inuit perspective, what are the gaps? And what are the strengths?”

Canada wants WHO approval for Medicago COVID-19 vaccine so it can be donated: Sajjan

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International Development Minister Harjit Sajjan says he wants the World Health Organization to greenlight Medicago's COVID-19 shot so it can be donated and used by the COVAX vaccine-sharing alliance.

Ontario lifts mask mandates in most spaces, but it's no 'light switch' to life pre-pandemic, expert says

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Ontario has lifted its masking requirements in most indoor settings including in schools, restaurants, gyms and stores as the province reports 551 COVID-19 hospitalizations on Monday.

Here's what you need to know as Ontario moves to lift its mask mandate Monday

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Mask mandates will be lifted in most indoor settings on Monday and that could mean an increase in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations. Experts say those increases should be manageable, but how we act will matter. 

COVID-19 hasn't gone anywhere in Canada — and we could still see another surge

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A recent rise in global COVID-19 cases, the spread of a more contagious Omicron subvariant and a spike in early surveillance signals across Canada has experts worried we could be on the verge of an "ugly spring."

Tam says the federal government is 'examining' all vaccine mandates

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Canada's chief public health officer said Friday the federal government is actively reviewing all of its vaccine mandates with an eye to ending rules that force some people to get their COVID-19 shots.

Hong Kong's COVID-19 infections exceed 1 million amid outbreak

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Hong Kong's cumulative coronavirus infections have exceeded one million as the city grapples with a widespread outbreak that has killed more people than the reported COVID-19 deaths in all of mainland China.

Why is Canada's illicit drug supply so deadly and what's being done about it?

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Canada’s overdose crisis has only worsened during the pandemic, with the number of people dying from illicit drugs soaring to new heights in many provinces. According to those who research and work with drug users, the country’s increasingly toxic drug supply is to blame.

Health Canada approves Moderna COVID-19 vaccine for kids aged 6 to 11

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Health Canada has approved the use of Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine for children between the ages of six and 11 years old.

More people will be hospitalized as public health restrictions lift: Ontario science table

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Ontario's COVID-19 science table says based on an uptick of coronavirus detected in wastewater and the province ending most public health measures next week, it's predicting more people will wind up in the hospital and in some cases intensive care. 

'Slight uptick' in COVID-19 cases seen in wastewater data as Ontario prepares to drop most mask mandates

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While cases in Ontario have been declining since they peaked in early January amid the Omicron surge, the province is now beginning to see more coronavirus turn up in its wastewater surveillance less than a week before mask mandates are set to lift in most settings.

Quebec's Medicago COVID-19 vaccine faces WHO rejection over company's tobacco ties

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The World Health Organization has paused the process for pre-qualification of Quebec City-based Medicago's new Covifenz shot due to its link to cigarette manufacturer Philip Morris International. 

Global rise in COVID-19 cases is 'tip of the iceberg,' WHO warns

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After more than a month of decline, COVID-19 cases started to increase around the world last week, the World Health Organization said. It said the rise was largely driven by the highly transmissible Omicron variant, the BA.2 subvariant and the lifting of public health and social measures.

For Canadians with long COVID-19, recovery remains a heavy burden

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Two years after the pandemic hit, Canadians with long COVID say they often feel frustrated as they grapple with the long-term effects of the virus. Experts, meanwhile, say Canada lacks a centralized system of data collection that could help study and treat the condition.

Federal government to end pre-arrival COVID testing for travellers entering Canada

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The federal government is expected to announce as soon as tomorrow that travellers entering Canada will no longer have to take a pre-arrival COVID-19 test, CBC News has learned.

WHO postpones evaluation of Russia's Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine

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The World Health Organization said Wednesday its evaluation of Russia's Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine has been postponed for the time being, due to the "uneven situation."

Omicron may hang around longer on surfaces than original virus, early findings suggest

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A new study out of Hong Kong suggests Omicron might be surviving longer on everyday objects than its early predecessor — raising questions about which basic precautions to prevent surface-based transmission might still be warranted. 

Coronavirus cases climb in China, raising the threat of trade disruption

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Chinese authorities on Tuesday tightened anti-virus controls at ports, raising the risk of trade disruptions, after some auto and electronics factories shut down as the government fights coronavirus outbreaks.

A sweeping COVID-19 inquiry is 'inevitable,' one expert says. 2 years on, is now the time?

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As we hit the two-year mark since the official start of the pandemic, there are calls for wider inquiries or a commission into what went wrong during the COVID-19 efforts in Ontario and Canada.

This competitive skier survived an eating disorder. Now the Ontario teen is sharing her story to help others

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More than a year after finishing treatment for an obsession with food and counting calories, Grade 12 student Brooke Ailey of Thunder Bay, Ont., is sharing her story to raise awareness about the prevalence of disordered eating in young female athletes.

Anxiety, exhaustion and nightmares drove this young worker to quit her job

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During her time at Western University, Tomachi Onyewuchi learned to juggle competing responsibilities: school, work and modelling gigs. But despite good time management and being “very Type A,” she wasn’t prepared for the mental toll that accompanied the nearly 60-hour weeks of her first job.

Canadians' mental health worsened in the pandemic — and the system is at a crisis point

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The mental health of Canadians has deteriorated in the two years since the COVID-19 pandemic was declared, putting pressure on a mental health-care system that was already close to a breaking point. 

Manitoba suffers 2nd highest COVID-19 death rate in Canada by pandemic's 2-year mark

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Two years into the pandemic, Manitoba continues to have the second-highest COVID-19 death rate in Canada. Public health experts say relatively poor health at the outset is partly to blame.

B.C. eases rules on long-term care visitation, asks for patience amidst staffing shortages

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Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said most long-term care facilities are expected to be ready for more visitors by March 18, although staff shortage may be an issue at some facilities.

China locks down city of 9 million amid new spike in COVID-19 cases

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China on Friday ordered a lockdown of the nine million residents of the northeastern city of Changchun amid a new spike in COVID-19 cases in the area attributed to the highly contagious omicron variant.

Délı̨nę elder says local health centre failed to detect tumour that nearly killed him

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“If it wasn’t for myself, I wouldn’t be here today,” said Morris Neyelle, who says staff at the health centre in Délı̨nę declined to medevac him for abdominal pain. He arranged his own flight to Yellowknife.