DOSE OF DESPERATION If there was a global race for COVID-19 vaccine, wealthy nations won it, and countries like Angola lost. The rollout left Canada awash in doses. In Africa, meanwhile, every drop is precious. Alex Boyd Toronto Star LUANDA, ANGOLA The sun is high in the sky as the plane’s wheels make gentle contact with the…
Category: Community News
Speaker series to focus on racism in nursing
FEBRUARY 11, 2022 The College of Nursing, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences of the University of Manitoba has launched a new monthly speaker series that will address racism in nursing practice and education. The series, Let’s Talk About Racism in Nursing, launched Oct. 1 with a presentation by Debra Beach Ducharme, Indigenous health director at Ongomiizwin – Health Services….
New COVID-19 study links nurses’ mental health to quality of care
Stories of stress and burnout among healthcare workers, particularly nurses, continue to make news during the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, new research shows these mental health problems could be contributing to decreased quality of patient care. The study, published recently in the journal Healthcare, found that the more severe the mental health symptoms reported by nurses, the more…
New study finds COVID-19 hotspots in Canadian urban centres
FEBRUARY 14, 2022 A new study shows hotspots of COVID-19 infections in Canadian cities across four provinces, linked to occupation, income, housing and proxies for structural racism. Compared to other cities in the study, Winnipeg’s concentration of COVID-19 hotspots was not as high. The study, published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, looked at infections in…
Ontario further lifts capacity limits on businesses, gatherings
Capacity limits are lifting in more Ontario settings as the province continues to roll back pandemic restrictions in light of improving COVID-19 indicators. Starting today, restaurants, gyms and cinemas that must screen patrons for vaccination against COVID-19 have no limits on capacity. Other indoor spaces that are using the proof-of-vaccination system are also no longer…
How books, movies and TV help us understand the infodemic, anti-vax messages and conspiracy theories
The World Health Organization defines an infodemic as “too much information including false or misleading information in digital and physical environments during a disease outbreak.” While the term is new, the problem is not. For centuries, writers have recognized that disease outbreaks spur the spread of incorrect information, or misinformation. My research focuses on 19th-century literature, including representations…
Hey, Where’s My Rapid Test?
BC has received enough publicly funded tests for every resident. Where have they gone? B.C. has received at least one rapid antigen COVID test for each of its five million residents. But finding them has been a big challenge. In recent months the tests, which can be used at home to diagnose COVID-19 within minutes,…
Pandemic travel: Here’s what experts say you need to know before you go
With the announcement that the federal government is eliminating the pre-arrival PCR test requirement for fully vaccinated travellers,and all Canadian airports that normally receive international flights will once again be able to do so beginning Feb. 28, many Canadians may be contemplating a trip abroad. Tourism has recently been on the rise in Canada,despite restrictive measures. November…
Why experts say booster shots are still critical, even if vaccine policies are relaxed
With some provinces taking steps to end proof of vaccination policies and COVID-19 infections hitting record numbers during the Omicron wave even among the vaccinated, experts say vaccines and booster shots still remain a critically important tool against the pandemic. Saskatchewan ended its proof of vaccination policy on Monday, after Premier Scott Moe controversially said vaccines…
New Resources Available – COVID-19 Vaccine Communications (children 5 to 11 years old)
As COVID-19 continues to circulate in Canada, we all need to continue to take simple steps to stay healthy, limit the spread of COVID-19 and make informed decisions about COVID-19 vaccination. To reach parents in Canada with credible information about COVID-19 vaccination for children 5-11 years old, we are providing you with resources from Health…