Provinces are expanding eligibility for third-dose COVID-19 booster shots, part of contingency plans designed to mitigate the damage of a possible surge in cases over the winter months. The Globe and Mail has learned Ontario will announce Thursday that people aged 50 and older will be eligible for a third dose of COVID-19 vaccines starting…
Category: Community News
What we know about the new coronavirus variant omicron
World Health Organization declares B.1.1.529 a variant of concern Authorities around the world have reacted with alarm to the recently discovered coronavirus variant B.1.1.529 that the World Health Organization labelled a variant of concern and named omicron Friday. Canada, the U.S., Britain, the European Union and India are among those announcing stricter border controls as scientists carry out tests…
Omicron could threaten COVID-19 immunity — but we’re not going back to ‘square one’
Scientists warn variant mutations may heighten risk and urge Canadians to be cautious The omicron variant, now reported in multiple Canadian provinces and a growing number of countries worldwide, could threaten hard-won immunity to the virus behind COVID-19. But global scientists say the world has a crucial head start on the latest variant of concern, thanks…
Ontario gave $210M in COVID-19 support to ineligible businesses, auditor general’s report finds
Premier Doug Ford responds to report, saying province moved quickly to support businesses Ontario businesses that weren’t eligible for pandemic relief programs received more than $200 million in provincial supports, others were given more money than they lost, and some hard-hit vendors were excluded altogether, the province’s auditor general has found. That’s one of the findings in…
These Chinese-Canadians are looking to break the silence on mental health
Cultural expectations can lead to more stigma and shame around mental illness, reluctance to seek help The shuffling and clacking of domino-like tiles reminds Kayla Mak Harrison of when her late grandmother and her friends taught her how to play mahjong, a Chinese tabletop game. It didn’t take long for Mak Harrison to learn her…
Why COVID poses a greater risk to people with a mental health diagnosis
The CDC has added mental illness as a risk factor to qualify for a booster. Those with a mental health diagnosis are at a higher risk of getting infected, being hospitalized and dying from COVID-19. MARY LOUISE KELLY, HOST: The CDC recently added people with mental illness to the list of those who should be…
Mental health concerns during the COVID-19 pandemic as revealed by helpline calls
Abstract Mental health is an important component of public health, especially in times of crisis. However, monitoring public mental health is difficult because data are often patchy and low-frequency1,2,3. Here we complement established approaches by using data from helplines, which offer a real-time measure of ‘revealed’ distress and mental health concerns across a range of topics4,5,6,7,8,9….
Millions of helpline calls reveal how COVID affected mental health
Data from almost 20 countries suggest that many callers were anxious and lonely rather than experiencing abuse or suicidal impulses. A sweeping study of 8 million calls to helplines in 19 countries and regions found that call volumes jumped during the first wave of coronavirus infections. Loneliness and concerns about the pandemic drove most of…
Calling out stereotypes that fuel Asian racism
Stereotypes played a large role in the anti-Asian hate that the community was faced with during the COVID-19 pandemic, members of the Asian community said. “I started hearing about this on the news. It’s one of those things where your heart sank and I felt that, ‘oh no, so racism is gonna start again.’ And…
Modelling suggests COVID-19 pandemic’s fifth wave could be Saskatchewan’s worst
Saskatchewan has released modelling that suggests a combination of winter weather with indoor socializing and waning immunity could lead to the province’s worst wave of COVID-19. Chief medical health officer, Dr. Saqib Shahab, says hospitalizations and cases have plateaued at a high level. He says now is the time to increase vaccination rates, including booster…