Items

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  2021-10-06

  The Fifth Wave and it's Strain on a Small Costal Town

  The coastal town of Elma, Washington has been hit hard by Covid. The smaller-sized hospitals are overrun with Covid patients and the burden being put on healthcare infrastructure in the area is massive. People are having to wait hours for care at local hospitals and chances are if you call an ambulance, it will not be able to take you to a local hospital. The extra driving is eating up the EMS system's time and causing issues with getting care from emergency services.
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  2021-06-03

  A Pet Emergency During the Pandemic

  The story describes the difficulties of dealing with emergencies during the pandemic time and how social isolation negatively affects one's ability to weather these emergencies.
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  2021-04-01

  Transgender Day of Visibility

  Today on #TransDayOfVisibility, we are in solidarity with all trans and nonbinary folks, whether they choose to be visible or not. Visibility does not equal protection and safety, and it does not guarantee basic rights. Currently there are at least 44 anti-trans bills being introduced by lawmakers in the US, a record number that primarily targets children and prohibits them from accessing medical care and limits their ability to participate in school sports. With visibility comes the need to be even louder. No one is free until we are all free, and with the disproportional rate our Black, Brown, and Indigenous trans siblings experience violence, both physically and judicially, we must commit to ending the systems that allow the systemic barriers and hatred to endure. For more resources, actionable steps and donations, follow: @raquel_willis @chasestrangio @glits_inc @mpjinstitute @transjusticefp @intransitive.ar @tko_alabama @mattxiv @jmaseiii #transdayofvisibility #tdov2021
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  2021-02-27

  Finally!!!!!!

  What a day! After trying to get an appointment for the Covid vaccine, I was finally able to get a last minute appointment at the fairgrounds. It was a well oiled machine! They were able to vaccinate hundreds of people every hour all day long! I was in and out in 30 minutes. I can’t wait to get back into the classroom and see the faces of the kids I miss so much! Maybe we can find “normal” again?
• 
  2020

  Canadian 24-Hour Movement Guidelines For Children and Youth: An integration of Physical Activity, Sedentary Behaviour, and Sleep

  The Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology published guidelines to encourage Canadians of all age groups to maintain their health by pursuing a balanced lifestyle. This comprehensive guide emphasizes the importance of sleep, exercise, and reducing sedentary behaviors.
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  2020-12-30

  Mom who gave birth while intubated due to COVID-19 made her ICU nurse the godmother

  From Article: A woman has finally brought her child home after giving birth while fighting COVID-19. On Sept. 23, Monique Jones of Ferguson, Missouri, welcomed Zamyrah Prewitt who arrived at 29 weeks gestation weighing 2 pounds, 5 ounces.
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  2021-01-15

  Keena Covid Vaccine

  My name is Morgan Keena, I live in Nampa, Idaho, I am a 7th-grade social studies teacher, and I got my first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine today! Teachers weren't scheduled to start receiving the vaccine in Idaho until late February or early March. However, on January 11, 2021, our state superintendent of education delivered a speech to the Idaho legislature urging them to pass a law that would require all school districts to stay open unless mandated by the governor. Additionally, she urged that all students return to in-person learning full time as quickly as possible. On Tuesday, January 12, 2021, the governor of Idaho, Brad Little, announced via a press conference that K-12 teachers and staff were moved to the top tier and could start receiving the vaccine on January 13, 2021. This came as a huge shock to educators everywhere, but we know it is tied to the demand to have schools 100% in person. My school district, Nampa School District, then took on the momentous task of figuring out how to obtain vaccines for their nearly 1,000 staff members. Less than 36 hours later, they had secured vaccines for us at three major health systems and two smaller urgent care locations. The district also had one health system offering the vaccine on Saturdays and Sundays to better work with the teacher schedules. We managed to crash the portals of two health systems by overwhelming them with many vaccine sign-ups. I (by a miracle) was able to secure an appointment for January 15, 2021. Let me tell you; I have never been so excited to get a shot in my life. I received my vaccine from St. Luke's Health System in Nampa, Idaho. The check-in process was a breeze and done entirely on my own. I was very relaxed while waiting for my appointment but also exceptionally eager to get back to my room and get this first dose done. Once my name was called, I met with the pharmacist who would be administering my vaccine. She was a lovely woman, and I consider myself fortunate to have met her. She was such a calming presence as she explained the emergency use authorization for the vaccine, potential side effects, and what I could expect in the days after receiving this dose. She continued to use the line, "when I got my first dose...." which made me feel at ease. We talked about my job, her children, and how this school year has been wild. Suddenly, it was over! I had my vaccine and was ready to take on the world! Almost. After a couple of cases of allergic reactions to the vaccine around the country, they now require you to wait in the waiting room for 15 minutes after receiving each dose. I received the Pfizer vaccine and have scheduled my second dose for three weeks from today. As I was doing my time in the waiting room after my injection, I signed up for a program called V-Safe. V-Safe is run by the CDC and is used to track vaccines' side effects. Since this vaccine has emergency authorization, they are still collecting side effect data. since I signed up, they will message me once a day for the next week to do a quick wellness check. After the initial week, they will message me once per week to continue keeping up with any side effects I may encounter. I figure it's the least I can do to help science. I am super excited about receiving the first dose of this vaccine. My husband also received it today, and we are overjoyed by that. He is a third-year medical student rotating through various hospitals, so getting him a vaccine was a priority of ours, but it proved to be more difficult to obtain than we had thought. He received the Moderna vaccine, so we get to see how both vaccines work. I received the vaccine because I expect our school board to bring back middle school students 100% in-person and full time soon. Social distancing will not exist in the classroom, and I will be exposed to 150 students in my classroom and the other 150 students in my wing of the school. This is a good day for science. I feel excited and hopeful. I feel like I have hit the 'covid wall' lately, and I am just ready to be done with this.
• 
  2020-12-09

  Indigenous communities to sit tight and wait for vaccine roll out

  Canada will receive up to 249,000 doses of the vaccine by the end of the month. This will vaccinate up to 124,500 people as a person has to take two doses for it to be effective. However, it's up to the provinces and territories to determine how the doses will be distributed. Indigenous communities are on the priority list but they will have to patient, since there aren't enough vaccines and there are difficulties in distributing it to communities who do not have the proper facilities to store it. Most Indigenous communities are disproportionally affected by the disease. First Nations people in Manitoba living off reserve make up 65 per cent of the overall First Nations COVID cases in the province.
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  2020

  Mind Control: Managing Your Mental Health During COVID-19

  The University of Toronto has developed a free course entitled Mind Control: Managing Your Mental Health During COVID-19, in order to equip Canadians with tools to manage our mental health, before it manages you. The course is designed to teach students about anxiety as it presents itself throughout our daily life, from the consumption of news, to the way it is discussed with our children. Understanding how our brains react to crises, students would be more prepared to manage their own mental health.
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  2020-05-13

  Mme Benoit fête ses 92 ans au CUSM - Mrs. Benoit celebrates her 92nd birthday at the MUHC

  Pierrette Benoit celebrated her 92nd birthday while in hospital recovering from COVID-19. The staff on C8 at the Royal Victoria Hospital of the MUHC ensured her day was special by presenting her with a cake and singing her Happy Birthday. Gestures like these are just an example of how MUHC staff go above and beyond for their patients.
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  2020-07

  Mental Health in Canada: Covid-19 and Beyond

  Mental health is health, this report shows the pandemic is both magnifying and contributing to Canada's mental health crisis. COVID-19 took a toll on the populations mental health, and we are expecting long term mental health effects to burden Canadians. The CAMH demands the government and policy makers step up and make mental health a priority by investing in long-term, system wide response.
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  2020-05-26

  Accessible Testing

  In response to Premier Doug Ford's disappointment about the number of tests being done in Ontario, the County of Renfrew Paramedic Service is mobilizing to offer drive-thru clinics for anybody in the county who wants to be tested for COVID-19 in order to keep up with the provinces' testing demands. Dr. Theresa Tam and chief public health officer of Canada says, "This is a wonderful example of the health-care system coming together to ensure that no one is left behind and it highlights the important role paramedics play in linking communities to health-care settings".
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  2020-11-19

  Qikiqtani Inuit Association announces $1.8M for mental wellness during the pandemic

  The Qikiqtani Inuit Association says that it will distribute $1.8 million in federal funding to support the work of the Ilisaqsivik Society, the YWCA Agvik, the Uqutaq Society, the Tukisigiarvik Society, Qikiqtani hamlet recreation departments and the previously announced Qikiqtani Family Support Initiative. (Image courtesy of the Qikiqtani Inuit Association)
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  2020-04-03

  COVID-19 & Mental Health

  Tips from the Edmonton Canadian Mental Health Association on how to manage our mental wellness at this time of uncertainty.
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  2020

  Coalition Poids - COVID-19

  The Québec organization Coalition des Poids is dedicated to creating environments that facilitate healthy life choices. Aware of the potential negative impacts the government lockdown would have on our health, this company produced graphics to inform and help the public maintain their health during the pandemic. The illustrations encourage Canadians to take care of their physical health through proper nourishment, physical activity, and sleep.
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  2020

  Wellness Support Line

  The demands of the pandemic are having a serious impact on the emotional, psychological and physical wellbeing of healthcare workers across the country. The Canadian Medical Association wishes to support frontline workers by providing them with access to a Wellness Support Line to ensure they have high-quality and tailored mental health services for all their needs.
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  2020

  How to stay active at home during COVID-19

  Recommendations from Dr. Linda Li, Senior Scientist at Arthritis Research Canada sharing the best way to exercise in new environment. The importance of exercising during COVID.
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  2020-07-04

  Suivre la trace du coronavirus dans les égouts

  In anticipation of a second wave of COVID-19, Canadian scientists are currently working to set up a detection system based on organic waste that ends up in sewers.
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  2020

  COVID-19: Impact on Canada's pharmaceutical and retail pharmacy industry

  The coronavirus pandemic has affected Canada’s pharmaceutical and retail pharmacy industry across four main areas: product sourcing and procurement, product launch and distribution, acquisition and access, and treatment and care management. Based on challenges in these areas, this report offers a perspective on potential solutions and considerations.
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  2020-06

  Restoring Trust: COVID-19 and The Future of Long-Term Care

  Established by the President of the Royal Society of Canada in April 2020, the RSC Task Force on COVID-19 was mandated to provide evidence-informed perspectives on major societal challenges in response to and recovery from COVID-19. The report begins by reviewing the research context and policy environment in Canada’s long-term care sector before the arrival of COVID-19. It summarizes the existing knowledge base for far-sighted and integrated solutions to challenges in the long-term care sector. The report then outlines profound, long-standing deficiencies in the long-term care sector that contributed to the magnitude of the COVID-19 crisis.
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  2020

  COVID Alert App

  The Government of Canada created the COVID Alert App to breaking the cycle of infection. This app can let app users know of possible exposures to the virus before any symptoms can appear. Thanks to this app, we can reduce the spread of infection, take care of ourselves and protect our communities.
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  2020-05-01

  Coronavirus outbreak: Alberta launches contact-tracing app to fight COVID-19 spread

  Alberta's chief medical officer of health Dr. Deena Hinshaw provided an update on the most recent numbers of COVID-19 cases in the province Friday and the government's ongoing response to the pandemic. She also announced the launch of a mobile contact-tracing app for the province, called ABTraceTogether, to help fight the spread of COVID-19.
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  2020

  Indigenous Wellbeing in the Times of COVID-19: Four Directions Virtual Support Hub

  A group of Indigenous women adapted the Medicine Wheel to promoted healthy strategies to cope with the pandemic to the public. This rendition is a holistic approach, inspired by the sacred teaching of their ancestors and the Seven Fire Prophecies, designed to enhance the wellness of the body, spirit, heart, and mind.
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  2020-12-09

  Interview with Toronto Nurses

  A six minute video about the hardships of being a nurse during the COVID pandemic.
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  2020

  N95 Standards

  The Canadian Dental Association describes in detail what an N95 is and how to spot counterfeits. This is crucial as N95 must be strictly tested to ensure they are filtering properly.
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  2020-12-07

  COVID-19 in long-term care: a report from inside

  An analysis of the report on long term care homes in Canada. The author explains the findings of a commission to understand what went wrong in the administration of the homes.
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  2020-10-19

  "It's very scary at WGH right now," says employee

  This is a news article about the conditions at the Whitehorse General Hospital. The article highlights the staffing and shortage issues that are causing unsafe conditions in the hospital.
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  2020-04-06

  Anxieties over COVID-19 and possible PPE shortages prompting some health care workers to draft wills

  Discussion with Dr. Michelle Cohen about the dangers of working in the hospitals during COVID and her concerns over PPE shortages.
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  2020-11-13

  In memoriam: Canada's health workers who have died of COVID-19

  The Canadian Federation of Nurses Union has created this article to honour the healthcare workers who have died of COVID-19.
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  2020-03-30

  Canada has to prepare for medical workers to die in the line of duty, fighting COVID-19

  Opinion piece from a flight paramedic about medical staff dying in the line of duty during the pandemic.
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  12/03/2020

  Aidan McNaughton Oral History, 2020/12/03

  Washington county in Oregon has established several COVID-19 quarantine centers in an attempt to limit the spread of the virus among the community. A number of local motels have been converted to such facilities. Aidan is an EMT at one such motel, and agreed to be interviewed about his experience.
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  2020-10-23

  Voluntary Isolation Motel EMT

  Several counties across Oregon have coordinated with local motels to establish voluntary isolation shelters in an attempt to curb the spread of COVID-19. Each location is staffed with city personnel to manage admittance and discharge, while EMTs on staff conduct routine medical monitoring to patients. My boyfriend works in one of these shelters, and sent me this picture of him in his full PPE getup before making morning rounds. The shelter's capacity varies a lot week by week, and anywhere from 1-20 COVID positive patients may be staying there at any given point. This particular motel intakes prisoners who need to do a 2 week quarantine before being released, but also serves non-incarcerated people who have tested positive.
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  2020-10-27

  Let 1,000 coronavirus flowers bloom

  A medical lab technologist in New York City has started making art out of biohazard labels. He calls his art "The Biohazard Collection" and plans to donate it to the New-York Historical Society.
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  2020-08-07

  CDC Rates Cruise Ships for Sanitation and Cleanliness

  Cruise ships are bustling cities. Lido decks are a din of conversation over food, and while most cruise ships suspended buffets years ago, passengers still share access to, among others, refillable water stations, cookie baskets, and salt and pepper shakers. Tables are close together and guests stand closely in line. While hand sanitizer stations are dotted throughout common areas, cruise ships with so many people in such close quarters, are difficult places to prevent the spread of aerosol, airborne virus’ like Covid-19. Now that cruise ships, and world health organizations, have had time to assess the risk they are developing new protocols to help making cruising possible again when it is safe to do so. The United States’ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention developed the Vessel Sanitation Program, which is now shifting to include Covid-19 health protocols. Ships receive a surprise inspection from the CDC where they evaluate the following areas: medial facilities, potable water systems, swimming pools and whirlpool spas, galleys and dining rooms, child activity centers, hotel accommodations, ventilation systems, and common areas of the ship. At The Points Guy blog, they outline how the program works and how future cruisers can use the CDC data to inform the health and safety of their future vacation.
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  2020-07-05

  Summer Vacation Plans

  The coronavirus did not magically disappear by the Spring, and it doesn't look like the Summer heat is gong to make it go away any faster. In the tweet, we can say that for many people a summer vacation isn't going to be possible. Doctors and medical professionals are but some of the few people that are gong to be working hard through the summer to ensure that we are at least prepared come the Fall. This item was added TAGS v6.1.9.1. I originally searched under the hashtag #thisyearmysummervacation. Within that search, I have chosen to add the following tweet because it speaks towards a changed summer atmosphere for everyone bit especially medical professionals who are not going to be able to get a break.
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  2020-06-26

  Backorder form for communicator surgical mask

  The demand for clear facemasks is high right now for both medical professionals and everyday people. It makes me happy to see that people even care that deaf, Deaf, or HoH can communicate. Unfortunately, many of us worry for our health if we were to become sick and need to go into the hospital right now. What about medical error from miscommunication? Pencil and pad of paper seem our best bet to not be misunderstood.
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  2020-05-19

  Drive-Thru Testing Ramps Up in Kansas

  The Healthcore Clinic's mobile COVID-19 drive-thru testing station at the Wichita State Metroplex in east Wichita, Kansas, on the afternoon of May 19, 2020. One of three stations in the city, the Metroplex site had only been in operation for eight days at the time of this photo's creation, thus reflecting the slow implementation of available testing since the beginning of the outbreak, and the absolute necessity for it to contain the coronavirus's spread. Moreover, those being tested are doing so by their own volition, as there was no mandate from government authorities requiring compulsory testing. Aaron Peterka, Northeastern University