Each week, journalists turn to Unity Health Toronto’s experts and programs to help make sense of our world. In case you missed it, here’s a recap of the headlines for the week of July 10-16.

Dispelling myths about fertility and COVID-19 vaccines
CBC Radio’s The Current on July 13, 2021
Interview with Dr. Tali Bogler

Some people are still on the fence about getting the COVID-19 vaccine. One reason is a concern about reproductive health and fertility. Dr. Tali Bogler, Family Physician and Chair of Family Medicine Obstetrics at St. Michael’s Hospital, joins CBC The Current to help separate fact from fiction.

How to navigate social situations after months of COVID-19 isolation
Toronto.com on July 9, 2021
Interview with Dr. Thomas Ungar

As the province reopens, different people will have varying levels of comfort as they resume social activities. Dr. Thomas Ungar, Psychiatrist-in-Chief at St. Michael’s Hospital, says that most people will experience feelings of anxiety and depression and those who had pre-existing mental health issues prior to the pandemic may need some extra support or treatment. Dr. Ungar notes that it is important for people to focus on themselves and do what they need to feel safe.

Early anticlotting therapy offers benefits for moderately ill patients with COVID-19
News Medical Life Sciences on July 13, 2021
Interview with Dr. Michelle Sholzberg and Dr. Peter Jüni

COVID-19 is marked by heightened inflammation and abnormal clotting in the blood vessels, particularly in the lungs, and is believed to contribute to progression to severe disease and death. A new study led by St. Michael’s Hospital’s Dr. Michelle Sholzberg and Dr. Peter Jüni and University of Vermont Larner College of Medicine’s Dr. Mary Cushman found that administering a full dose of a standard blood thinner early to moderately ill hospitalized patients with COVID-19 could stop blood clots and reduce the risk of severe disease and death.

Also in Zee News and Science Daily.

How Ontario taxpayers likely lost almost $10 million on COVID-19 tests they’ll never see
Toronto Star on July 15, 2021
Interview with Dr. Larissa Matukas

In the early days of the pandemic, a portable, Ontario-made testing platform that could detect COVID-19 in less than an hour was hailed as a breakthrough in the fight against COVID-19. But 16 months into the pandemic, the device appears to be a sinkhole for public money. Dr. Larissa Matukas, Head of Microbiology at St. Michael’s Hospital, says the technology should have been evaluated more thoroughly before an investment was made.

COVID-19: Experts, family call for Ontario hospitals to loosen visitation restrictions
Global News on July 12, 2021
Interview with Dr. Fahad Razak

Amid the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic, hospitals clamped down on visitors to protect patients and staff. Now, as Ontario’s situation continues to improve, experts and family members are calling on hospitals to loosen those restrictions. Dr. Fahad Razak, Epidemiologist and Internist with St. Michael’s Hospital, says the improving situation should allow for relaxed policies in hospitals, but there is still a need for caution.