Vaxx Populi: Omicron has a higher effective reproduction number than Delta, so can vaccines protect against more hospitalizations and deaths? Time will tell. It’s been 11 days since the World Health Organization declared the newest mutation of the SARS-CoV-2 virus to be a variant of concern and named it Omicron. Since then, researchers have been…
Category: Community News
We need a strategy to avert vaccine inequity in racialized children
COVID-19 vaccinations for children aged five to 11 add an extra layer to our pandemic strategy. Unfortunately, it will increase unfairness in the impacts of the virus — unless we develop specific and properly funded strategies for vaccinating racialized youth. Ontario has had one of the best pandemic responses in the world. Our death rate from COVID…
Centre for Equality Rights in Accommodation is Hiring
CERA is currently recruiting four Research Assistants, funded by the Canada Summer Jobs program. This is a 7-week full-time (40 hours/week) contract position, from January 10, 2022 – February 25, 2022. The hourly rate is $14.35/hour. Application Deadline: Monday, December 6, 2021, at 5:00 pm ESTPlease note that interviews for this position will be held…
What to do as we walk into the pandemic’s fifth wave
Vaxx Populi: If the worsening situation in Europe is foreshadowing what’s to come, get ready, Canada Dr. Malgorzata Gasperowicz has a routine when she gets into a taxi: she makes sure the driver is wearing a mask, rolls down the windows, then often talks to the driver about the risks of airborne transmission of COVID-19…
Omicron cases start to climb as WHO warns the variant poses a ‘high infection risk’
Politics Insider for Nov. 30, 2021: New cases in Canada; a military apology; and Steven Guilbeault’s bicycle More cases in Canada: Two people in Ontario and one in Quebec have been infected with the Omicron variant of COVID-19, CBC reports, in addition to the two Ottawa cases announced on Sunday. Patricia Treble, writing for Maclean’s, has a roundup of what…
Young people’s fear of missing out may be fuelling feelings of social disconnection during COVID-19
Most of us have spent more time on screens since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. This increase in screen time may be especially pronounced among teens because of school closures, the cancellation of extracurricular activities and restrictions on physical social interactions. This has led both parents and resesarchers to worry that the pandemic is making…
Manage workplace impairment during the pandemic with these six steps
Raise the issue of COVID-19 and impairment, and our minds may go in multiple directions. Increased substance use from isolation and stress, for one; extreme fatigue from overwork for another. But these are just two forms of impairment. CSA Standard Z1008:21, Management of impairment in the workplace defines impairment as “a temporary physical, psychological, or physiological state…
Welcoming employees back to work? Don’t forget mental health in your plans
“These are unprecedented times,” says WSPS Account Manager Charmaine Mitchell. “Some folks have been living in isolation, others have been living and working intergenerationally. Some will appreciate coming back to their workspaces and re-engaging with co-workers, while others will be anxious and opt to continue teleworking.” Integrating mental health considerations into plans to bring employees…
Will all Ontarians — not just those 50 and up — need a third COVID-19 shot?
With the news that Ontario is opening up third doses of the COVID-19 vaccine to everyone aged 50 and over, many may be wondering if all Ontarians with two shots will need another jab. In short, it’s likely — we just don’t know when. It’s also not clear whether a third dose will be considered necessary to become…
If your child is afraid of — or refusing — a medical procedure, here’s how to help
The coronavirus pandemic has brought medical procedures, like COVID-19 testing and COVID-19 vaccinations, into our day-to-day lives like never before. These experiences aren’t easy for everyone, especially for children. But even outside a pandemic, medical procedures such as vaccinations and blood draws are common throughout childhood. When asked, children reliably say that their biggest concerns about…