To control the pandemic, more needs to be done immediately. You have seen the clips about hospitals in Italy and New York City last year: make no mistake, this is what we will soon face if we don’t make changes now.
As COVID-19 continues to devastate the most vulnerable, like my patients with addiction, the testing and vaccination system in Ontario is set up to further disempower them.
Amidst the clamour for mass vaccination, we think it's worth reflecting on the limitations of our fixation on vaccine procurement as a nation. What does it mean for global health equity?
It is so incredibly obvious to us on the wards who is struggling for help. I am angry, sad, and disappointed that their needs and safety seem to invisible to people in power.
We are figuring out staffing/redeployment, expansion of medical units, possible medication rationing and triaging for sick patients. How do you even triage patients who are aged 30 to 50?
Continued government inaction will only prolong the pandemic, resulting in longer shutdowns, further long-term economic damage and, ultimately, more preventable deaths.
What’s happening in the hospital? Somber meetings discussing the transferring of critically ill patients to other cities and asking when we will need to begin rationing resources …
The nightmare scenario from last April is reality today. Elective surgeries are shutting down. Health-care workers are being redeployed. Province-wide stay at home orders are in effect. Now we patiently wait to see if we can bend the curve.
Ontario announced that people over 18 in high-risk areas will be eligible to get vaccinated. I worry that because no clear plan has been outlined, that means there isn’t one.
How should we address vaccine hesitancy? One way is to reward people for getting vaccinated; Krispy Kreme, for example, is giving free donuts to those who show proof of vaccination.
Will we use COVID-19 as an opportunity to take off the blindfold and tailor our vaccine strategies to the unique needs of each gender or will we continue to ignore the needs of women?
Canada’s largest nurses’ organization is launching a national campaign to encourage vaccination against COVID-19 and dispel mistrust and misinformation about vaccines.
Health-care providers vaccinated against COVID-19 describe not just the physical side effects, mostly mild and short-lived, but also the emotional side effects: relief, excitement, and hope.
If high-risk people in high-risk areas are eagerly waiting to be vaccinated and there are empty slots at vaccine sites across the province, what are we waiting for?
Teacher vaccination must be a priority if in-person schooling is to continue uninterrupted. If teachers feel unsafe, how can they take on the huge responsibility of educating our kids?