COVID-19

Musician, aspiring writer – and one of Ontario’s toughest medical officers of health

Lawrence Loh, Peel Region’s medical officer of health, worked tirelessly to promote public health in one of Ontario's worst-hit COVID-19 hotspots. We're profiling him as a Pillars of the Pandemic honouree.

‘We’re doing this together’: Researcher advocates for transparency and community involvement

Kate Mulligan, member of the Toronto Board of Health, has kept the public informed of discussions and debate at the board while also helping empower front-line community health leaders. We're profiling her as a Pillars of the Pandemic honouree.

‘We deserve better’: Health centre director advocates for marginalized communities

Cheryl Prescod is the executive director of a community health centre that was on the front lines of vaccinating the inhabitants of a disadvantaged area of Toronto. We're profiling her as a Pillars of the Pandemic honouree.

Compassion fatigue, burnout, PTSD: Health-care professionals need protection

We need to protect the mental health of health-care professionals suffering from compassion fatigue, burnout and PTSD due to the pandemic. Here's how we can start.

Decolonizing the swab

To many Indigenous peoples, a swab represents colonial Euro-Canadian medicine. It represents colonialism itself. So how do we as physicians decolonize the swab?

Heart & Stroke survey highlights growing concerns for patients and health professionals

People living with heart disease, stroke or vascular cognitive impairment are worse off – both physically and mentally – because they have not been able to access the care they needed during the pandemic, according to a recent survey.

COVID-19 fallout an opportunity to fix crisis in care

Sharon Straus is a geriatrician and physician-in-chief at St. Michael’s Hospital, among other leadership roles. We're profiling her as a Pillars of the Pandemic honouree.

Burlington doctor uses her online voice to ease public’s fears and influence policy

Family physician Jennifer Kwan launched a Twitter campaign to educate Ontarians about the pandemic and vaccinations and to combat the spread of misinformation. We're profiling her as a Pillars of the Pandemic honouree.

Uxbridge doctors ‘uniquely positioned’ to help their small town through COVID crisis

Physicians Jennifer Wilson and Carlye Jensen are local leaders with deep personal and professional commitments to their town. We're profiling this duo as a Pillars of the Pandemic honouree.

Team Vaccine: Listen, Care and Act

Shiran Isaacksz played a key role in organizing a massive effort to vaccinate as much of Toronto as possible. We're profiling him as a Pillars of the Pandemic honouree.

Love for grandmother ‘a driving force’ during pandemic

Nathan Stall is a geriatrician and scientist who fought against the heartbreaking toll that the pandemic had on the elderly and those in long-term care. We're profiling him as a Pillars of the Pandemic honouree.

Vaccines aren’t even the half of it

Family and emergency physician Erin Bearss led the vaccine rollout in six Toronto long-term care homes. We're profiling her as a Pillars of the Pandemic honouree.

In Toronto, she’s an infectious disease specialist. In the North, she’s Dr. Balloon

Anna Banerji is a pediatrician, an infectious disease specialist and the founder of the Indigenous Health Conference. We're profiling her as a Pillars of the Pandemic honouree.

Social workers are essential workers, too

Throughout the pandemic, social workers have been vital, and they will be needed more than ever as we move toward recovery. It's time we recognized that social workers are essential workers too.

Actually, we do need better masks  

Canadians need masks that fit their faces more closely than cloth or surgical masks. They also need masks that are made of materials that filter better than cloth.

The patient as content

COVID-19 pushed doctors to the front of the cultural mainstream. But to maintain this status, some doctors share patients' medical information on social media, potentially undermining the doctor-patient relationship.

How good is natural immunity?

Is the immunity that comes from having caught COVID-19 as good as the immunity from vaccination? It may well be, at least for some – but there are caveats.

‘We are not that great’: Gain-of-function research highlights our hubris

Gain-of-function research entails modifying pathogens in ways that can make them more dangerous. The pandemic shows us what the fallout of such research could look like.

‘Please don’t blame your child’: For some parents of kids with Autism Spectrum Disorder, the pandemic has been challenging

For many children with Autism Spectrum Disorder, the pandemic has been isolating and disorienting. For some of their parents, it has led to burnout. So how can we support these families going forward?

Are the kids (and parents) all right? Back-to-school anxiety

Kids are heading back to school, but this year, many parents are worried about just how safe school will be. Three parents and medical experts talk about back-to-school fears and offer practical tips for navigating what's ahead.