COVID-19

Who knew

Who knew I would miss the simple smile of a stranger walking by me at the grocery store. Who knew I would miss that snarky side-eye by a random person judging me as I walked past them at the mall. Who knew I would miss those little kids who would stick their tongues out at me and giggle. I didn’t.

COVID-19 and the starving student

Food insecurity among post-secondary students is not new, nor has it been caused by the pandemic. Rather, it has been a severe issue in Canada for quite a while. The image of the starving student has, in fact, been romanticized for decades.

We must help post-secondary students thrive, not just survive

Preparing to graduate from Dalhousie University last spring was an extremely stressful time of uncertainty for me; classes were switched online quickly and the fear of not being able to graduate on time was a reality.

Conversations on pandemic recovery must include our youth

Academics, researchers, educators and politicians have all voiced their opinions and observations about how the pandemic has wreaked havoc on children and youths’ health and well-being. Missing from the conversation? The kids.

Is the COVID vaccine for children safe and effective? Addressing parents’ concerns

Editor-in-chief Seema Marwaha answers common questions and debunks prominent misconceptions about the COVID-19 vaccine for children aged 5-11.

Episode 29 – Proning and heparin for COVID-19

‘We shouldn’t emotionalize the discussion. It’s purely pragmatic’: An interview with Peter Jüni

Peter Jüni, the scientific director of the Ontario COVID-19 Science Advisory Table, argues that vaccine certificates are key to managing the COVID-19 pandemic while keeping society open.

Heroes: The word we use to keep health-care professionals complacent

We health-care workers are not heroes – we are just people trying to do our best in our jobs despite the stones thrown at us. Hero-worship of health-care workers keeps us complacent despite the stacked battle ahead of us.

Moral injury: An emerging legal field spurred by the pandemic?

During the pandemic, health-care professionals have suffered "moral injury." This has caught the attention of personal injury lawyers, who are now exploring moral injury: what it is, who’s at risk, how to treat it – and how it might be litigated.

‘What’s the appropriate amount of virtual care? It’s not zero, and it’s not 100’

Provincial governments are urging family doctors to resume in-person visits, arguing that virtual care increases pressure on ERs and leads to poorer health outcomes. But some doctors counter that it improves accessibility, among other benefits.

How scientific evidence evolves: A case study on COVID-19 in pregnancy

Pregnant people are at higher risk of severe COVID-19. This is a well-established fact. But it hasn’t always been. Earlier on, experts did not believe this group was at higher risk. This change in perspective is normal: in fact, it's how science works.

​​Professor’s NOVID app turns contact tracing into a safety game

If you get contact-traced because you've been near someone infected with a contagious disease, it’s too late to protect yourself. You isolate to protect others. But a new app aims to fight outbreaks using our desire to protect ourselves. Here's how.

‘We had to find our way in the dark’: Physician helps remote Sioux Lookout First Nations navigate through pandemic

Lloyd Douglas worked as part of the Sioux Lookout First Nations Health Authority to protect Indigenous communities in northern Ontario from COVID-19. We're profiling him as a Pillar of the Pandemic.

Are antiviral pills to treat COVID safe and effective?

Healthy Debate Editor-in-Chief Seema Marwaha answers your questions on the effectiveness, safety and limitations of new antiviral pills to treat COVID-19.

Community advocate ‘unrelenting in making good trouble’

Angela Robertson, executive director of Parkdale-Queen West Community Health Centre in Toronto, is a determined advocate for homeless, racialized and disadvantaged communities. We're profiling her as a Pillars of the Pandemic honouree.

Building trust key to overcoming vaccine hesitancy among parents

Healthy Debate Editor-in-Chief Seema Marwaha speaks about how to navigate the hesitancy that some parents might feel about vaccinating children aged 5-11 against COVID-19.

‘Liberty is at stake, but not just the liberty of the unvaccinated’: An interview with Arthur Schafer

Ethicist Arthur Schafer argues that vaccine certificates are a clearly ethical means of protecting the vulnerable, the unvaccinated, and our health-care system, thereby allowing us to return to something resembling our pre-pandemic way of life.

‘Is it a violation of people’s rights? I would say it is’: An interview with Kerry Bowman

Ethicist Kerry Bowman says that vaccine certificates give him pause because they restrict people's movement, are divisive, and likely further disadvantage the marginalized – all while providing a benefit whose overall impact is hard to gauge.

Vaccine Hunters looks forward to the day it isn’t needed anymore

During the pandemic, Vaccine Hunters Canada became a household name because the group worked around the clock to help Canadians get vaccinated. We're profiling the group as a Pillars of the Pandemic honouree.

Telemedicine proves its value for trans and non-binary community

The pandemic has led to a rise in virtual care, which has increased access to primary care for the transgender and non-binary communities. But this trend highlights the relative lack of gender-affirming care available through traditional primary care.