In the News 2022 archive

December 30

It’s ‘damning on us as a society:’ Toronto falls behind in offering warming centres for homelessness
Toronto Star
Comments by Dr. Stephen Hwang
One of the most “morally upsetting” nights of Maggie Helwig’s life was earlier this winter. There was a man at Toronto’s Church of Saint Stephen-in-the-Fields, near Bathurst and College Street where she’s the priest and runs a drop-in program, who was “obviously unwell” and “couldn’t even get his socks on properly.”

December 29

County resident named to the Order of Canada for medical career
Guelph Today
Comments by Dr. Andreas Laupacis
A Wellington County resident is being honoured for his long career and impact he’s had in Canadian healthcare and medicine. Dr. Andreas Laupacis, who lives outside of Arthur, is among 99 new appointments to the Order of Canada where he was named an officer.

Ontario urgently needs critical care nurses. Unity Health is working to train them
Hosptial News
Comments by Tasha Osborne, Chrissy Lefkimmiatis, James D’Aloisio, Liz Butorac and Brendan Daniel
As severe nursing shortages challenge hospitals across Ontario, a program at Unity Health Toronto is paying nurses to become specialized in critical care, helping to advance their careers and fill an urgent need.

December 21

Health care is showing the cracks it’s had for decades. Why it will take more than cash to fix it
CBC News
Comments by Dr. Danyaal Raza
The one-nurse emergency room that serves the remote community of Alert Bay, tucked off the northeast coast of Vancouver Island, has shut down until January because it has no available staff.

December 19

Managing your child’s asthma during flu season is easier with these resources: experts
CTV News
Comments by Dr. Samir Gupta
Three-and-a-half-year-old Elijah spent October battling a new illness every week. First croup, strep throat and then a persistent fever that wouldn’t go down. It’s a situation many parents have been facing this fall amid a surge in respiratory illnesses among children, but Elijah’s family had another worry to juggle: his asthma.

December 18

Long-acting injectable PrEP is a big step forward in HIV prevention
The Conversation
Article co-authored by Dr. Darrell Tan
One year ago, the United States approved a new injectable drug that prevents HIV. After successful clinical trials, long-acting cabotegravir was found to be almost 100 per cent effective at preventing HIV.

December 15

Delays in Ontario’s pap test results (segment starts at 26:40)
Zoomer Radio
Interview with Dr. Yolanda Kirkham
Jane Brown is joined by Dr. Yolanda Kirkham, Assistant Professor at the University of Toronto and obstetrician gynecologist at Unity Health Toronto to discuss the concerning delay in pap test results in the province of Ontario.

With pediatric hospitals under pressure, Ontario’s medical association is offering guidance
CityNews
Comments by Dr. Tara Kiran
With extraordinarily long wait times at emergency rooms across Ontario, parents are concerned they won’t be able to access proper care for their children.

Ontario’s flu season may have peaked, children’s hospitals should see relief: Moore
Canadian Press
Comments by Dr. Fahad Razak
The flu season may have peaked in Ontario, and that should relieve some pressure on children’s hospitals in the near future, the province’s top doctor said Thursday.

December 13

What do you if you don’t have a family doctor?
CBC Radio – Ontario Today
Interview with Dr. Tara Kiran
Our guest this hour Dr. Tara Kiran, family doctor and researcher at the University of Toronto’s Department of Family and Community Medicine.

Uptick in fatal drug inhalation-related deaths reported in Toronto
CP24
Centre on Drug Policy Evaluation – Drug Checking Service is mentioned
Toronto Public Health (TPH) is warning of a recent spike in overdose deaths in neighbourhoods across the city involving inhaled substances.

This rural family doctor would like to retire — he’s 80
CBC News
Comments by Dr. Tara Kiran
If he keeps working until his health gives out, Dr. Peter Bell says people will say he died doing what he loved. “I’d sooner have some time to just hike in the woods,” he said.

December 12

Concerns rise as temperatures drop and Toronto shelter system struggles to keep up with demand
CityNews
Comments by Dr. Stephen Hwang
Every night in Toronto, an average of 187 people seeking warmth and safety are turned away from the shelter system and left on the cold streets. It’s raising renewed concerns about how the city will help its most vulnerable residents trying to survive the winter outdoors.

‘People are going to experience frostbite, people are going to have more amputations’
National Observer
Comments by Dr. Stephen Hwang, Jesse Jenkinson & Dr. Aaron Orkin
When unhoused people in Toronto run out of options, they turn to the city’s overcrowded emergency departments for shelter. The result is a collision of two crises, emergency department overcrowding and homelessness, that will risk lives, physicians, social workers and advocates for unhoused people say.

December 9

Unity Health carries on a long legacy of caring
The Globe and Mail
Comments by Manson Locke and Joel Persaud
There’s a certain kind of person who commits themselves to helping those who are less fortunate, experiencing homelessness or dealing with substance use in a big city. Those are the people who work at Unity Health Toronto – an integration of St. Michael’s Hospital (founded in 1892), St. Joseph’s Health Centre (1921) and Providence Healthcare (1857).

Soaring food prices have changed the way we buy groceries. But at what cost?
Toronto Star
Comments by Tracey Frimpong
Just after Alex Agramonte’s daughter was born in October 2020, milk cost $4.69 for four litres. At the time, she carefully recorded this figure in her daughter’s baby book on a page titled “The World I Came Into,” along with the cost of a postage stamp, a movie ticket, a litre of gas and a pack of diapers.

December 6

The year ahead: Health in 2023
Maclean’s
CHARTWatch is mentioned
The future of ER’s, the next viral pathogen and COVID long-haulers shape health-care in the year to come

December 5

How two advocates are making HIV testing more accessible in Indigenous communities
CBC Radio – Mainstreet NS
Interview with Dr. Sean Rourke
As Indigenous AIDS Awareness Week gets underway, Mainstreet host Jeff Douglas spoke with two advocates who have been working to get more people tested for HIV.

December 2

An explosion under the Bathurst Street bridge raises concerns about what’s being done to help the homeless stay warm this winter
Toronto Star
Comments by Dr. Carolyn Snider
A fiery explosion beneath a Toronto bridge, which burned hot under the nighttime sky after propane tanks left in an encampment burst, is raising fears about how to keep the city’s homeless population safely warm this winter — particularly amid a growing squeeze on the shelter system.

December 1

Why China is sticking with zero-COVID despite protests and economic havoc
National Post
Comments by Dr. Prabhat Jha
Even for a government used to doing what it wants with little regard for the public will, China’s zero-COVID policy can seem mystifying.

November 29

Future Health Care: How might the system be better for all Canadians?
The Globe and Mail
Comments by Dr. Naheed Dosani
Even before the pandemic, lengthy wait times, uneven access to care and mounting costs were common issues in Canadian health care. Those challenges have only sharpened and today, health care providers face a significant backlog in elective surgeries, treatments and tests.

Pregnant women’s cannabis usage in legalized US states raises calls for screening
ScienMag
Comments by Kathak Vachhani
Pregnant women living in US states where cannabis is legal must be screened for the drug, for the health of both mother and baby, claim scientists who in a new national study have found that they are far more likely to use the substance.

November 28

Groundbreaking study reveals how we can overcome monkeypox epidemic with limited vaccine supply
Interesting Engineering
Research by MAP Centre for Urban Health Solutions
In the early days of a virus outbreak, the way vaccine doses are distributed in different parts of a country amidst their limited supply could play a major role in controlling the infection and the rate at which it spreads.

November 26

Canada has more family doctors than ever. Why is it so hard to see them?
The Globe and Mail
Comments by Dr. Tara Kiran
Primary care is getting less accessible and involves longer waiting times, a Globe analysis has found. For health officials hoping to change that, a big obstacle is the lack of data about where physicians are working and where the shortages are.

November 22

Number of family doctors stopping practice in Ontario doubled early in pandemic, study shows
OHA Health System News
Comments by Dr. Tara Kiran
The number of Ontario’s family physicians who stopped working doubled during the first six months of the COVID-19 pandemic compared to previous years – accounting for more than 170,000 patients losing access to a primary care provider – according to a new study.

November 21

The kids are not all right. It’s time to require masks and encourage flu vaccination
The Globe and Mail
OpEd co-written by Dr. Fahad Razak
Across Canada and around the world, health care facilities are facing a massive surge in the number of children afflicted with serious respiratory illnesses. Why is this happening and how do we respond?

November 20

Newcomer kids finding their way in Canada
New Canadian Media
Comments by Dr. Shazeen Suleman
It is difficult enough for adults to decide to leave their home countries and start a new life in another culture, but imagine how much harder it must be for children who don’t get a choice in moving away from everything they know.

November 19

How can companies thrive in the new future of work? By understanding that people matter
The Globe and Mail
Comments by Dr. Tim Rutledge
The landscape of work has changed, expedited by the COVID-19 crisis, and there’s no going back now. Across sectors, including health care, we broke the workplace mould during the pandemic, proving that we can adapt quickly and work effectively in non-traditional ways.

November 17

Nearly 20 per cent of Toronto family doctors planning to close practices in next 5 years, survey finds
CBC News
Comments by Dr. Tara Kiran
With Ontario’s health-care system already in crisis, a new study suggests that nearly 20 per cent of family doctors in Toronto will be closing their practices in the next five years.

Toronto Public Health issues drug alert after at least 15 fatal overdoses in last month
CBC News
Toronto’s Drug Checking Service is mentioned
Toronto Public Health has issued an alert saying at least 15 people died from suspected overdoses in the last month.

November 16

COVID-19 continues to claim lives in the southwest as Ontarians urged to wears masks
CBC News Windsor
Comments by Dr. Fahad Razak
As Ontarians are urged to wear masks amid a busy respiratory illness season, COVID-19 continues to claim numerous lives in the southwest corner of the province.

U of T receives $35 million to modernize high containment facility
U of T News
Unity Health Toronto is mentioned
The University of Toronto has received $35 million in critical research infrastructure funding from the federal government to revitalize the Toronto High Containment Facility (THCF), an investment that positions the facility to play a significant role in addressing future pandemic and health threats in Ontario and Canada.

November 15

Dezeen Awards: Barlo MS Centre
Dezzen.com
Barlo MS Centre is featured
Winner: Leisure and wellness interior of the year 2022. Hariri Pontarini Architects has designed the Barlo MS Centre in Toronto, Canada. The goal of this project was to emphasise that design is an important part of a wellness strategy in a healthcare setting.

Nearly 20 per cent of Toronto family doctors are thinking about closing their practices in the next 5 years
CTV News Toronto
Comments by Dr. Tara Kiran
A new study found nearly 20 per cent of family doctors in Toronto are considering closing their practices in the next five years.

November 14

Almost 20 per cent of Toronto doctors are considering closing their practice in the next five years
The Globe and Mail
Comments by Dr. Tara Kiran
Almost 20 per cent of Toronto family physicians are considering closing their practices in the next five years, according to a new study warning that more residents of Canada’s largest city could soon have trouble finding a doctor.

November 11

Why are Ontario kids getting sick?
TVO – The Agenda
Interview with Dr. Fahad Razak
Pediatric ICU capacity is at or beyond its limits, and parents aren’t far behind. Why is illness on the rise for kids across the province?

Here’s how Ontarians feel about a return to COVID-19 mask mandates
Toronto Star
Comments by Dr. Fahad Razak
Slightly more than half of Ontarians currently support a return to a provincial mask mandate, with nearly three-quarters saying they would follow masking requirements should the government bring them back, a new public opinion survey by Forum Research suggests.

Canada is seeing an early rise in flu cases. Is a ‘tidal wave’ of infection coming?
CBC News
Comments by Dr. Fahad Razak
Canada is on track to face its first full flu season in several years — one that’s starting earlier than usual, all while the country’s healthcare system is already grappling with respiratory infections like COVID-19 and RSV.

November 10

Palliative care: what to know and why it matters
CP24
Interview with Dr. Naheed Dosani
Palliative care specialists Dr. Amit Arya, Dr. Nadine Persaud and Dr. Naheed Dosani talks about why end-of-life care is important.

Ontario pediatric ICUs operating above capacity, provincial data shows
CBC News
Comments by Dr. Fahad Razak
New data shows Ontario’s pediatric intensive care units are operating over capacity, with the number of children receiving care exceeding the number of available beds across the province as respiratory illnesses surge in kids.

November 5

Soaring food prices could have major impact on Canadians’ health
CBC News
Comments by Dr. Gary Bloch
Food prices have soared to their highest rates in almost half a century, leaving many Canadians feeling more financial pressure at the checkout line and eating less healthy food to save money — something that could lead to serious impacts on our health.

November 4

Can Ontario’s Emergency Rooms stay open?
TVO – The Agenda
Interview with Dr. Carolyn Snider
How are Ontario’s hospitals, staff, and patients handling ER closures, staff burnout, wait times, and other pressures on the health-care system?

AI spreads across hospitals, becomes an enterprise-wide solution
Canadian Healthcare Technology
Comments by Dr. Muhammad Mamdani
Once relegated to fragmented, one-off solutions, artificial intelligence (AI) in health care is now coming of age as an enterprise-wide strategy.

November 2

COVID, flu and RSV likely mean a challenging winter, says Etches
CBC News
Comments by Dr. Fahad Razak
Ottawa’s medical officer of health is again promoting COVID and flu vaccines as the city tackles a long and challenging respiratory illness season.

October 31

Elon Musk’s Twitter takeover has some users considering leaving site
CBC The National
Comments by Dr. Naheed Dosani
Some Twitter users say they’re worried Elon Musk’s plans to loosen moderation rules on the site will make it a hotbed of hate speech and abuse, and are considering leaving the social media platform before it goes sideways.

October 28

Time for Ontario to reinstate mask mandates: ex-science table adviser
CP24
Interview with Dr. Fahad Razak
Increasing COVID-19 cases and a flu season looming over an already-strained Ontario health system mean now is the time to reinstate some mask mandates, the former head of the province’s science table said Friday.

Can patient data improve hospital care? The physician-researchers behind GEMINI set out to find out
Hospital News
Q&A with Dr. Fahad Razak
Every test, vital sign measurement and medication prescribed is a data point on a patient’s care journey in the hospital. But how can we use that data to measure and improve the quality of patient care within and across different institutions, when hospitals don’t use the same data systems to generate and store information?

October 27

An inside looks at Ontario’s nursing nightmare: Why turnover and vacancy rates are only getting worse
Toronto Star
Comments by Manson Locke
Ontario hospitals are falling further behind every year in their efforts to fill rising vacancies in nursing positions as they fail to stem the flow of staff walking out the door, according to data obtained by the Star that provides a unique glimpse at the staffing crisis in the health system.

October 25

City’s response to homeless encampments still causing harm to unhoused, report says
CBC News
Comments by Zoe Dodd
The City of Toronto’s current response to homeless encampments is not only inadequate but is also causing further harm to the unhoused people who are most affected, a new report says.

October 20

How Toronto’s homelessness crisis is deepening the health-care crisis
Toronto Star
OpEd co-written by Dr. Sahil Gupta
Emergency departments have long been a place of refuge for people experiencing homelessness, both for seeking acute medical care and also for accessing temporary shelter and social support. But it is no secret that emergency departments are struggling — people have been waiting longer to get seen, often in chairs and hallways for the entirety of their care.

How mental health response team supports patients in distress
Hospital News
Comments by Krystal Fox, Jenna Richards, Stephanie Lucchese and Katie McTaggart
No intervention seemed to be getting through. A patient was threatening to harm themselves on the neurosurgery unit, and Krystal Fox knew she had to act fast.

October 18

Why Ontario is reducing doctors’ payments for one-off virtual appointments. And what it could mean for your health care
Toronto Star
Comments by Dr. Tara Kiran
The provincial government and the Ontario Medical Association have agreed to decrease payments to doctors for one-off virtual appointments — a move meant to stem the tide of virtual-only clinics and encourage doctors to provide comprehensive ongoing care to patients.

October 17

What 2 new studies reveal about long COVID in Canada
CBC News
Comments by Dr. Fahad Razak
Two new large-scale reports are giving a clearer picture of the long-term impacts of COVID-19 infections on Canadians and the health-care system.

Canada’s ERs are under intense pressure — and winter is coming
CBC News
Comments by Dr. Carolyn Snider
Hospital emergency departments are jammed up in much of the country even before the traditional flu season begins, raising concerns about the winter months ahead.

October 14

Rise in COVID-19 cases prompts worries a new wave is on the way
CBC News – The National
Comments by Dr. Carolyn Snider
As temperatures drop, some provinces like Ontario are seeing an increase in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations, prompting concerns another wave could be on the horizon that could once again put pressure on Canada’s beleaguered health-care system.

October 12

Virtual care is here to stay. But what are patients’ expectations?
Healthy Debate
OpEd by Dr. Tara Kiran
The pandemic has changed much of the way we live – including the way we deliver family doctor care. When COVID-19 case counts were high, we avoided asking people to come see us in-person where possible. Instead, we pivoted to virtual care – namely care delivered by phone or video. Reducing in-person care had many COVID-19 benefits.

October 11

How will Canada cope with COVID-19 this fall and winter? Five things to watch out for
The Globe and Mail
Comments by Dr. Beth Leung
COVID-19 is now in some ways less threatening to Canadians than ever. Widespread vaccination, prior infections and the introduction of new updated vaccines mean many Canadians have greater immunity against the disease than in previous years. New variants are better able to evade certain parts of the immune response, but they also appear to cause less severe infections.

New device for blood clot treatment helps patients avoid surgery
Hospital News
Comments by Dr. Andrew Brown
A Unity Health Toronto team led by Dr. Andrew Brown has become one of the first groups in Canada to trial a new technology for treating deep vein thrombosis that allow doctors to remove even the most complicated clots without surgery or potentially dangerous medications.

October 8

COVID outbreaks rise in Ontario long-term-care homes just as weather is turning cooler
Toronto Star
Comments by Dr. Fahad Razak
A trend of increasing COVID-19 outbreaks in Ontario long-term-care homes has experts worried that vulnerable seniors will once again bear the brunt of an expected fall wave of the virus.

October 7

Changes to virtual care billing in Ontario raise concerns over health care access
The Globe and Mail
Comments by Dr. Tara Kiran
Some Ontario physicians are concerned pending changes to virtual care will make it difficult for a wide swath of patients to access a health provider, adding to continuing challenges facing the province’s health system.

October 6

‘A better system is possible’: Asking Canadians what kind of family doctor care they want
Toronto Star
Op-Ed by Dr. Tara Kiran
Family doctors are the front door of our health system. They’re where you go when you are sick. And they keep you from getting sick in the first place, providing immunizations, screening tests and care for chronic conditions like diabetes or asthma.

October 4

Five lessons on primary health care learned during the pandemic
Toronto Star
Op-Ed co-written by Dr. Fahad Razak
Trouble finding a family doctor. Long waits for specialist care. Emergency department visits that could have been avoided. Preventive care falling behind. What’s the cure for a health system understandably reeling from nearly three years of crisis? How do we know where to begin? We look to the evidence.

October 3

‘The time is now’: Doctors ask Canadians how to reform primary care
CTV Your Morning
Interview with Dr. Tara Kiran
Believing that “better is possible,” a family doctor and other researchers are asking Canadians to share their experiences with the country’s primary health-care system – and what they want from it – as a way to help guide future reform.

Systemic racism must be addressed if substantive movement is to happen on TRC Calls to Action
Penticton Herald
Comments by Dr. Janet Smylie
Until systemic racism is acknowledged and addressed there will be little progress made on the 94 Calls to Action outlined in the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s report on the legacy of Indian residential schools.

Female doctors in Ontario earn 34% less on average, even in fields they dominate, Globe analysis finds
The Globe and Mail
Comments by Dr. Tara Kiran
Female doctors in Ontario made less on average than their male counterparts in 35 medical specialties tracked by the Ministry of Health, a Globe and Mail analysis of physician billings has shown.

Ontario needs more primary-care practitioners, province’s COVID-19 advisory table says
The Globe and Mail
Comments by Dr. Tara Kiran
Ontario’s independent COVID-19 Science Advisory Table highlights the work of primary-care practitioners during the pandemic in its final report, and warns of challenges ahead as treating patients with the virus moves from intensive-care units to family doctors’ offices.

October 1

We’re treating UTIs all wrong. Here’s how we fix that.
Daily Beast
Comments by Greg German
If you are alive and in possession of a vagina, chances are you will have a urinary tract infection at some point in your life. UTIs are one of the most common bacterial infections, which might lead you to assume that modern medicine has nearly perfected its treatment options for this uncomfortable and potentially dangerous condition. Unfortunately, you’d be wrong.

September 29

Task Force puts equity, diversity and inclusion at the core of research
Hospital News
Q&A with Galo F. Ginocchio and Dr. Cheryl Pritlove
Approaching research through an equitable lens is a core principle emerging at Unity Health Toronto. Vast inequities in healthcare experiences and outcomes surrounding who is cared for, how treatment is administered, and how illnesses are prevented are results that can emerge without this approach.

September 28

Why is the U.S.’s bivalent COVID-19 vaccine different than Canada’s — and is it better?
The Globe and Mail
Comments by Dr. Fahad Razak and Dr. Anna Banerji
We can’t say which vaccines are superior because they have not been studied in head-to-head trials. But what we do know is that there is far more clinical evidence to support the vaccine currently being distributed in Canada.

September 27

Hundreds of thousands of COVID-19 antivirals are sitting on shelves across Canada
CBC News
Comments by Elizabeth Leung
Health Canada has distributed enough of the antiviral Paxlovid to treat more than 700,000 people with COVID-19, yet the provinces have given only a fraction of that medication to patients.

Significant number of Indigenous people in Kenora, Ont., experienced racism in past year, new study says
CBC News
Comments by Dr. Janet Smylie
A new study has revealed that racism and other forms of discrimination are having significant, adverse effects on the health of Indigenous people living in or near Kenora, Ont., a city of about 15,000 people located almost 500 kilometres west of Thunder Bay.

Take the survey: What are your priorities for primary care?
Healthy Debate
Op-Ed by Dr. Tara Kiran
Do you have a family doctor or nurse practitioner that you can talk to when you need care or advice about your health? Even before the pandemic, 15 per cent of people living in Canada said the answer was no. And unfortunately, all indications are that things have gotten worse.

More than 170,000 Ontario patients lost family doctors in first six months of pandemic, study finds
Newstalk 1010
Interview with Dr. Tara Kiran
Dr. Kiran, a family physician at St. Michael’s Hospital of Unity Health Toronto, and lead author of the study tells Moore In The Morning how more than 170,000 Ontario patients lost family doctors during the first six months of the pandemic.

September 26

Low-carb vegan diet shows similar health benefits to vegetarian diet, study shows
Medical Xpress
Comments by Dr. David Jenkins
A low-carb vegan diet has the same health effects as a vegetarian diet, but at a much lower cost to the environment, according to new research from St. Michael’s Hospital.

Pandemic spurred exodus of Ontario family doctors, study indicates
Canadian Press
Comments by Dr. Tara Kiran
Ontario family doctors left the profession at the start of the pandemic at double the rate of the years before COVID-19 hit, new research indicates.

Is artificial intelligence the pill that health care needs?
Toronto Star
Comments by Dr. Tim Rutledge, Dr. Muhammad Mamdani and Dr. Amol Verma
Scheduling nurses in the emergency department of St. Michael’s Hospital used to be a painful four-hour-a-day job. Now it’s done in 15 minutes thanks to an automated program built by data scientists at Unity Health, where a team of more than 25 employees is harnessing artificial intelligence and machine learning to improve care.

September 25

Remembering renowned neurologist Stephen McKenzie
Toronto Star
As one of the founding members of Trillium Health Partners’ neurology department in the early 1980s, Dr. Stephen McKenzie put in the hours, finding himself on call every second day after one of the other doctors left. “It was an exhausting time,” says his wife, Johanna McKenzie. The next four decades offered little reprieve; in addition to his job as senior neurologist at Trillium, Stephen was a long-time professor at the University of Toronto and a staff physician at St. Michael’s Hospital.

Is the COVID pandemic over? Stakes high as debate over ‘the end’ heats up
Toronto Star
Comments by Dr. Sharmistha Mishra
The biggest public health crisis in a century had an unmistakably official start. On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization declared the COVID-19 outbreak a pandemic. Now, almost 1,000 days later, and after millions of deaths worldwide, many millions more infections, and an unprecedented international vaccination effort, it’s becoming clear the end of the pandemic won’t be as explicit.

September 23

Green Coalition announces new Green Health Care award winners
Longwoods
St. Joseph’s, St. Michael’s and Providence are mentioned
The 2021 Green Health Care Awards were announced Wednesday, Sept. 21 and Thursday, Sept. 22 respectively, at virtual award presentations held by the Canadian Coalition for Green Health Care.

September 22

Can I give my sick kids expired Tylenol? Doctors say try this first
CTV News
Comments by Dr. Justine Cohen-Silver
In the midst of a shortage of children’s medications, physicians are advising parents to avoid giving their sick kids expired medication, and to speak to trusted health professionals about how to manage illnesses as well as their anxieties.

September 20

Safer opioid supply program reduces ER visits, hospital admissions: Study
London Free Press
Comments by Dr. Tara Gomes
Prescribing safer opioids to people who use street drugs results in “significant declines” in their emergency room visits, hospital admissions and health-care costs, a study based in London and published Monday in the Canadian Medical Association Journal says.

September 19

As safe-supply study appears to show benefits for drug users, critics raise warning flag
The Globe and Mail
Comments by Dr. Tara Gomes
A new study of the earliest formal program to offer prescription opioids to drug users suggests their health improved under the medication, one of the study’s authors says. But some experts warn it’s too early to draw conclusions about the efficacy of safe supply programs.

St. Michael’s research project aims to improve care access for unhoused people
The Globe and Mail
Comments by Dr. Stephen Hwang
People experiencing homelessness often suffer from a range of health problems that put them at heightened risk for severe illness and premature death. But because they lack housing, it can be a major challenge for those individuals to get and keep medical appointments and meet other basic needs to help prevent such poor outcomes.

September 18

Hariri Pontarini rethinks cold medical interiors at Barlo MS Centre
Dezeen
Barlo MS Centre is featured
Canadian architecture studio Hariri Pontarini has completed a clinic in Toronto for multiple sclerosis patients that features warm wood tones and spaces designed to feel like “first-class airplane lounges”.

September 16

New approaches to health care delivery
The Globe and Mail
Interview with Dr. Muhammad Mamdani
As the global pandemic begins to recede, health care providers are refocusing on longer-term priorities, and building on innovations implemented through the crisis. Virtual health care – which once seemed a far-off target – came about almost overnight. Technologies such as A.I., smart devices and data tools are improving patient care, diagnoses and system efficiency.

September 15

What does staying COVID safe mean now?
CBC Radio – Ontario Today
Interview with Dr. Fahad Razak
The former head of the now-disbanded COVID-19 Science Advisory Table, answers questions on immunity, treatment, vaccines, travel, long COVID and more.

September 14

How universities are preparing for monkeypox
CBC News – The National
Comments by Dr. Darrell Tan
As students head back to class, some Canadian universities are offering monkeypox vaccines and educational resources, while at least one says it has isolation rooms available.

‘Disaster mode’: Emergency rooms across Canada close amid crisis
New York Times
Comments by Dr. Carolyn Snider
A nationwide shortage of nurses has caused dozens of emergency rooms across Canada to close temporarily and forced some patients to wait days for a bed.

Pandemic fuelled by atmosphere of polarization, mistrust
Toronto Star
OpEd co-written by Dr. Fahad Razak
Étienne-Louis Malus, the 18th century French physicist and mathematician, coined the term “polarization” to refer to a process where people see the same things through different lenses. Arthur Koestler, the Hungarian writer who skewered communism and fascism alike, gave the term its modern edge. To polarize, wrote Koestler, is “to accentuate a division in a group or system.”

Emergency care and hospitalizations higher among cannabis users, study finds
Hospital News
Comments by Dr. Nick Vozoris
Visits to the emergency department and hospitalizations are 22 per cent higher among individuals who use cannabis compared with those who do not, according to a new study.

September 13

Saving millions of lives but some resources squandered: emerging lessons from health research system pandemic achievements and challenges
The Globe and Mail
OpEd co-written by Dr. Sharon Straus
During the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, research averted millions of deaths worldwide through new vaccines, repurposed and new drugs, and non-pharmaceutical interventions. Simultaneously, there was unprecedented research waste: many trials were too small or poorly designed, various guidelines were duplicated, and sometimes scientific evidence was ignored in policy and practice.

September 12

Scientists want a new definition for critical care medicine. Here’s how COVID-19 shaped their cause
Hospital News
Q&A with Dr. John Marshall
In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, a group of critical care physicians from around the world are calling for a broader definition of critical care – one that looks beyond syndromes and the consequences of illness and addresses the biological make up that determines how a person responds to disease and its treatments.

September 7

‘Nowhere to go’: Homelessness and mental illness create a ‘revolving door’ of admissions
Healthy Debate
Comments by Jesse Jenkinson
When Jane was asked if she was excited to leave the psychiatric hospital, her first reaction was: “Where do I go?” Jane, still in her teens, had been sexually abused and was battling addiction and homeless. She wasn’t aware of an alternative discharge option besides sleeping on that same stoop on a busy street.

September 2

Ontario nurses facing rising rates of violence from patients
CityNews
Comments by Dr. David Kodama
Ontario nurses are calling attention to the violence they face every day from patients on top of the overcrowding in hospitals and burnout over staff shortages.

September 1

Can you take melatonin while pregnant? We asked an expert
Today’s Parent
Comments by Dr. Tali Bogler
Sleep issues are just one of the many things that can make pregnancy a waking nightmare. If you’ve been wondering whether melatonin is a safe solution for pregnancy insomnia, we’ve got expert guidance to help you make a healthy and informed choice.

Bracing for fentanyl: NZ experts push for safe drug-using space
1 News (New Zealand)
Comments by Dr. Dan Werb
The NZ Drug Foundation wants to trial an overdose prevention centre and, if approved by the Government, it would be the first centre of its kind in Aotearoa.

Powder could stop bleeding earlier for trauma patients
Hospital News
Comments by Dr. Katerina Pavenski
Currently, a patient who is suffering from a large amount of bleeding due to trauma receives red blood cell and plasma transfusions. Plasma is challenging to deliver quickly to the patient and unavailable in remote areas: it must be stored at -20 degrees Celsius in special freezers, expires in one year, and takes at least 20 minutes to thaw.

August 26

Is the pandemic over for Ontario?
TVO – The Agenda
Interview with Dr. Fahad Razak
As summer winds down and we head into fall and a new school year, we talk to Dr. Fahad Razak, the new scientific director of the COVID-19 Science Advisory Table to look at where Ontario is in its attempts to deal with the pandemic, how much natural immunity is present in communities, what modelling is suggested for the months ahead, and what to expect in the next round of vaccinations.

“We are desensitized”: Violence escalating in struggling emergency departments
CMAJ News
Comments by Samantha Marchand and Dr. David Kodama
Samantha Marchand says she and her colleagues in the emergency department at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto have experienced so much violence at work they have become numb to it.

Rushed to hospital, stuck in an ambulance: Why it’s taking longer to hand off patients to hospitals in Ontario
Toronto Star
Comments by Dr. Andrew Petrosoniak
Paramedic Sara MacGregor pulled into Ottawa’s Queensway Carleton Hospital this week with a patient needing urgent medical care. To her dismay, she learned that she and her partner were one of seven ambulance crews waiting to transfer care of their patients to the emergency department.

August 25

Ontario expands monkeypox vaccine eligibility to more LGBTQ people, sex workers
Canadian Press
Comments by Dr. Aaron Orkin
Some advocates say Ontario’s expanded eligibility for the monkeypox vaccine should include people experiencing homelessness. Ontario released new guidelines Wednesday that include a broader segment of the LGBTQ population as well as sex workers.

August 23

Opioid deaths in Ontario rose dramatically in pandemic’s first two years (segment starts at 6:53)
CBC News Toronto
Comments by Dr. Tara Gomes
New data from Ontario’s Chief Coroner is shedding light on the province’s opioid crisis during the pandemic.

‘It’s bad’: Opioids killed more Ontarians in second year of pandemic than first
Canadian Press
Comments by Dr. Tara Gomes
Opioids killed more people in Ontario in the second year of the pandemic compared to the first, but the province saw a drop in those deaths this past March, newly released data shows.

Ontario mulls private solutions for public health-care crises
CBC News – Front Burner
Interview with Dr. Danyaal Raza
It’s a perennial debate: what role should the private sector have in Canada’s public health-care system? The fact is, it’s already part of the ecosystem.

August 22

New report highlights food insecurity in Canada
CTV Morning Live Vancouver
Interview with Dr. Naheed Dosani
Dr. Dosani explains the results a new report that highlights food insecurity in Canada.

August 21

Knowing your status, education key to fighting AIDS, experts say
CBC Nova Scotia
Comments by Dr. Sean Rourke
One out of 10 people living with HIV, around 7,000 people, don’t know they have the virus, according to Dave Miller of REACH Nexus, a national research group that deals with sexually transmitted and blood-borne infections.

August 19

What we know about why some kids are missing routine vaccinations
CBC News
Comments by Dr. Sloane Freeman
Some children across the country have fallen behind on their routine immunizations during the COVID-19 pandemic, with vaccination rates dropping off by several percentage points in some provinces.

August 17

Doctors advise Ontarians to keep up with vaccines ahead of fall flu season, possible COVID-19 surge
CBC News
Comments by Dr. Andrew Petrosoniak and Dr. Sloane Freeman
Ontario doctors are advising people to keep up with vaccinations ahead of the fall, when illnesses including COVID-19 and influenza are expected to spread amid health system challenges one physician said he expects will likely worsen.

Pregnant people facing challenges with epidural catheter, health care staff shortages
CityNews
Comments by Dr. Tali Bogler
Pregnant people in Ontario about to give birth are facing challenges on multiple fronts. Not only are hospitals preparing for a possible epidural catheter shortage, but some women are also being warned staffing shortages could affect their deliveries.

August 16

To address Canada’s health care crisis, start by containing COVID-19
The Globe and Mail
Op-Ed co-written by Dr. Fahad Razak and Dr. Arthur Slutsky
We are now more than two years into the pandemic and Canada’s health care systems remain in crisis. Across the country, from British Columbia to the Atlantic provinces, emergency departments are working at reduced capacity. Some have ground to a complete halt. And it is only August – traditionally a slower period for hospitals and an opportunity for health care workers to recover before the typically higher pressures of wintertime.

August 14

‘It’s crazy what they expect’: Newmarket Residence part of a troubled housing system for Ontario’s most vulnerable
Newmarket Era
Comments by Dr. Stephen Hwang
What Lynn Steele witnessed, as caregiver to a woman living in a group home on the outskirts of Newmarket, haunts her still.

Ontario has ‘enough’ supply of epidural catheters
CP24
Interview with Dr. Tali Bogler
Dr. Bogler, chair of Family Medicine Obstetrics at St. Michael’s, says there is enough supply of epidural catheters in Ontario.

August 12

Despite rising OD deaths linked to smoking drugs, no supervised inhalation services exist in Ontario
CP24
Comments by Dr. Tara Gomes
Last spring, Toronto’s Casey House opened its second supervised consumption site (SCS), one for outpatients that has purpose-designed room for people who choose to smoke their drugs.

August 11

Drug checking, harm reduction sites needed to combat spike in opioid overdoses in Toronto
CityNews
Comments by Hayley Thompson
As Toronto Public Health (TPH) warns of yet another increase in suspected opioid overdose deaths, several agencies working in harm reduction across the city say they don’t have enough resources to combat the crisis.

August 10

The latest on Canada’s monkeypox outbreak
CBC – Front Burner
Interview with Dr. Darrell Tan
Monkeypox cases in North America continue to climb. Last week, the U.S. declared monkeypox a public health emergency. Here in Canada, the number of cases is approaching 1,000. The disease can be painful and the self-isolation period can be lengthy. Right now, men who have sex with men remain the most at risk of infection.

August 8

Underweight in early childhood persists
MD Edge
Comments by Dr. Jonathon Maguire
Healthy children who are underweight in the first two years of life continue with a lower-than-average body mass index and height-for-age through age 10, according to new research.

August 5

Seven months on, Toronto awaits drug decriminalization decision
Canadian Press
Comments by Dr. Dan Werb
As Toronto waits to hear whether the federal government will grant its request to decriminalize the possession of illicit drugs for personal use, harm reduction advocates say approval is urgently needed as governments fail to match the gravity of the opioid crisis.

August 4

Ontario’s construction industry uniquely vulnerable to opioid-related deaths, new study shows
Ontario Construction News
Comments by Dr. Tara Gomes
A recently released report has found one in 13 opioid-related deaths between 2018 and 2020 occurred among Ontario construction workers.

August 3

Doug Ford vows to fast-track accreditation of foreign-trained nurses to ease Ontario’s hospital crisis
The Globe and Mail
Comments by Dr. Shazeen Suleman
Ontario Premier Doug Ford broke his silence Wednesday on the health care crisis engulfing the province, saying the government will be issuing a directive to speed up the accreditation of international nurses as a way of addressing shortages of medical staff.

Ontario construction workers disproportionately impacted by opioid-related deaths: Report
Canadian Occupational Safety
Comments by Dr. Tara Gomes
Ontario construction workers are disproportionately represented in opioid-related deaths in the province, according to a report.

August 2

Monkeypox case found in Toronto’s shelter system ‘concerning’ as it leaves most vulnerable at risk, says doctor
CBC Radio – Metro Morning
Interview with Dr. Darrell Tan
Dr. Tan is an Infectious diseases physician and clinician at St Mike’s Hospital and an associate professor of medicine at U of T. He has been leading research on monkeypox cases in the city.

COVID-19 vaccination rate lower among urban Indigenous people, study shows. Why?
Global News
Comments by Dr. Janet Smylie
COVID-19 vaccination rates among Ontario’s urban Indigenous population were lower compared with the general population despite priority rollout, according to a new study.

August 1

Ontario healthcare system on life support: Why are ER wait times so long?
CityNews
Comments by Dr. Andrew Petrosoniak
After 14 Ontario hospitals were forced to close their emergency rooms, beds or intensive care units this long weekend, healthcare workers point to several systemic shortcomings that have led to a healthcare system on life support.

July 29

Canada has fallen behind on diagnosing and treating people with HIV
The Globe and Mail
Op-ed co-written by Dr. Sean Rourke
Today in Montreal, Canada’s political leaders are participating the AIDS 2022 conference, bringing the world together to accelerate the fight to end HIV and AIDS globally. Unless their words can be translated into political will and action, we will be no further ahead in ending HIV in Canada.

July 28

Are thousands of uninsured people about to lose health coverage in Ontario? Fears grow about end to COVID-era OHIP rules
Toronto Star
Comments by Dr. Ritika Goel, Dr. Irfan Dhalla and Dr. Shazeen Suleman
Even with her teenage brother in extreme pain, his knee swollen from a bad fall and looking like a melon, Luna Garcia’s family hesitated to take him to hospital.

Ontario’s construction industry uniquely vulnerable to opioid-related deaths, new study reveals
CTV News
Comments by Dr. Tara Gomes
Construction workers are dying of opioid-related causes in Ontario at a much higher rate than workers in other industries, according to a new study that found one in 13 opioid-related deaths in the province occurred among those in the sector.

Monkeypox: Toronto health leaders push for increased vaccine awareness, supports
CityNews
Comments by Dr. Darrell Tan
For the past few months, doctors, scientists and community health professionals and advocates have been working to respond to a gradual increase in the number of monkeypox cases, but calls are ramping up for increased vaccine awareness and better support for those who are diagnosed with the virus.

Ontario opens COVID-19 vaccine appointments for young children (starts at 12:44)
CBC News Toronto
Comments by Dr. Doug Campbell
Efforts to vaccinate our youngest against COVID-19 are now underway. The province’s vaccine portal is now open for appointments for children between six months and five years old.

Ontario construction workers accounted for 1 in 13 opioid deaths in recent years, report finds
The Globe and Mail
Comments by Dr. Tara Gomes
Construction workers have been disproportionately affected by the worsening opioid crisis, accounting for about one in 13 opioid-related deaths in Ontario between 2017 and 2020, according to a new report published Thursday.

July 27

Babies, toddlers can now get COVID-19 vaccine
CTV News Toronto
Comments by Dr. Anne Wormsbecker
Ontario parents can book a COVID-19 vaccine for babies and toddlers on Thursday.

Have questions about the COVID vaccine for kids under 5? We’ve got you covered
Toronto Star
Comments by Dr. Doug Campbell
Eight months and three Omicron waves after older kids became eligible for COVID-19 vaccines, parents of children under five — the final age group authorized for the jab — can finally book first doses.

Canada urges gay and bisexual men to reduce their sexual partners to stem monkeypox. Advocates want help instead
Toronto Star
Comments by Dr. Darrell Tan
The federal government is asking gay and bisexual men to reduce their number of sexual partners to curb the spread of monkeypox. But community health workers and advocates say that spread is being fuelled by the lack of government support, financial and otherwise, for those who are at risk.

July 26

The Canadian bid to turn the tide against monkeypox
Toronto Star
Comments by Dr. Darrell Tan and Dr. Sharmistha Mishra
As cases of monkeypox continue to grow in Canada and globally, academics and advocates are urging governments to bring in paid sick days for all, as illnesses like monkeypox are unpredictable and can require extended periods of isolation.

Toronto Public Health issues alert after 10 people die of suspected opioid overdoses in 5 days
CBC News
Comments by Hayley Thompson
Toronto Public Health has issued its first drug alert this year after 10 people died of suspected opioid overdoses in five days.

July 25

Nursing students backstop Toronto ER in ‘tight situation,’ union concerned
Global News
Comments by Dr. James Maskalyk
An Ontario nurses union says it fears health-care staffing shortages may worsen in the Toronto area after a hospital network in the city had to use nursing students and medical residents to backstop an emergency department over the weekend.

July 23

‘Never seen a virus that behaves this way’: Why COVID refuses to give us a break
National Post
Comments by Dr. Fahad Razak
Two and a half years into the COVID mess, yet another immunity-dodging viral variant is driving a seventh wave of infections — even though half the country’s population, more than 17 million people, were infected with Omicron between December and May, and despite more than 80 per cent of the population having received at least two doses of a vaccine.

July 22

Half a million Toronto residents sweltering in apartments with no A/C in summer heat
Canadian Press
Comments by Dr. Samantha Green
Kiki Jones has spent the past few days taking cold showers, avoiding physical activity, keeping the blinds shut and blasting electric fans in their non-air-conditioned apartment in Toronto.

Limited vaccine supply could thwart Canada’s efforts to contain monkeypox
CBC News
Comments by Dr. Darrell Tan
As an unprecedented global monkeypox outbreak keeps growing, Canada remains opaque about its vaccine stockpile — even as advocates and medical experts warn the country may lack enough supply to meet current demand, with many Canadians being offered just one round of what’s typically a two-dose shot in order to stretch supplies.

July 20

A doctor takes to TikTok to educate racialized families on child health
Bloom blog (Holland Bloorview)
Q&A with Dr. Ripudaman Minhas
Ripudaman Singh Minhas is a developmental pediatrician at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto who works with newcomer families with children with disabilities like autism and Down syndrome.

Monkeypox cases continue to rise in Canada
CBC News – The National
Comments by Dr. Darrell Tan
As cases of monkeypox climb in Canada, there are growing concerns that the vaccine is not widely available, and time may be running out to contain the spread.

Investigating the efficacy of COVID-19 treatments
CTV News Toronto
Comments by Dr. Andrew Pinto
A $10-million grant has been awarded to a researcher at St. Michael’s Hospital to investigate the effectiveness of COVID-19 treatments.

Why Canadians with long COVID struggle to access financial aid
The Globe and Mail
Comments by Dr. Gary Bloch and Sonya Torreiter
As more Canadians with long COVID try to apply for insurance and government disability support, many are encountering the same hurdles that have long been familiar to residents with chronic fatigue syndrome

Experts weigh in on Toronto’s monkeypox response
North York Mirror
Comments by Dr. Darrell Tan
While one expert argues the response from Toronto to monkeypox spreading through a marginalized queer community has been ideal, another thinks more support is needed. Both agreed a flashback to historical HIV stigma toward sexual minority men should be avoided.

July 19

How heat and climate change impact health
CP24
Interview with Dr. Samantha Green
Dr. Samantha Green speaks about how hot days impact the human body, and how cities can protect people from heat-related illness.

July 18

Diagnosed with monkeypox, he felt pain, exhaustion — and was frustrated by the lack of support
Toronto Star
Comments by Dr. Darrell Tan
He was just so tired. That’s the first thing Len Tooley remembers of the signs that he might be sick. Weeks later, he can’t remember the TV he tried to stream before crashing into a heavy sleep. For two days, even sending a text felt like a battle. He had body aches. A splitting headache left him vomiting.

Hot enough for you? How heat can affect your mental health
Toronto Star
Comments by Dr. Samantha Green
We all know heat waves can be bad for our physical health, since heat stress can cause respiratory problems, exhaustion, edema and, of course, heat stroke.

July 16

Canada’s health care leadership does not look like the population it serves. That’s a problem, but also an opportunity
The Globe and Mail
Op-Ed co-written by Dr. Fahad Razak
Signs of strain in the health care system have become increasingly apparent, from patients receiving treatment in hallways in prepandemic times, to waves of burnout and resource rationing throughout the COVID-19 crisis. With many difficult decisions on the horizon, it’s important to ask who sets the direction of our health system as we move forward.

What a 4th COVID shot can do for you — and what it can’t
CBC News
Comments by Dr. Fahad Razak
Fourth doses of COVID-19 vaccines are rolling out to more Canadians as eligibility opens up across the country, but research suggests there are limitations to the impact they can have on the highly contagious BA.5 Omicron subvariant fuelling Canada’s first summer surge.

July 15

Canada’s breast-screening measures aren’t equitable enough
The Globe and Mail
St. Michael’s Research is mentioned
One in eight. That’s the number of Canadian women estimated to develop breast cancer, according to the Canadian Cancer Society. This year alone, 28,600 will be diagnosed with the disease, representing 25 per cent of all new cancer cases in women across the country.

July 14

Benefit of viscosupplementation for knee OA questioned
Health Day
Comments by Tiago Pereira and Dr. Bruno da Costa
Viscosupplementation yields a small reduction in pain for knee osteoarthritis compared with placebo, which is less than the minimal clinically important between-group difference, according to a review published online July 6 in The BMJ.

‘Transformational’ life-saving cystic fibrosis drug approved for use in Ontario patients six and older
Ottawa Citizen
St. Michael’s research is mentioned
One by one, Sara Aldrich’s dreams are coming true. Eight months ago, simply the thought of climbing a staircase without retching and throwing up seemed impossibly far-fetched for the now-24-year-old Stittsville resident and cystic fibrosis patient, never mind becoming a schoolteacher, running a marathon or any of the other notions that might get into the head of a young woman with her whole life stretched in front of her.

Fifty-five per cent of new parents want more plant-based protein for children
Veg News
Comments by Dr. Jonathon Maguire
More than half (55 per cent) of parents want to introduce their children to more plant-based proteins, but they don’t know how to incorporate them into children’s diets, a new survey reveals. This is part of the challenge of introducing new food to young kids.

July 13

NOSM University doctors part of COVID medicine research team
Sudbury.com
Dr. Andrew Pinto and Upstream Lab are mentioned
Two NOSM university researchers are part of a team of Canadian scientists working to study medications and treatments to fight SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) as well as long Post-Acute COVID-19 Syndrome (PACS), also known as long COVID.

July 12

Ontario’s top doctor to make announcement about 4th COVID-19 shots, rapid antigen tests
CBC News
Comments by Dr. Fahad Razak
Ontario’s chief medical officer of health is set to make an announcement on Wednesday about access to fourth doses of COVID-19 vaccines and to free rapid antigen tests.

Family doctors deny they’re causing Ontario’s emergency room problems
CBC News
Comments by Dr. Tara Kiran
Family doctors are pushing back against claims that they are partly responsible for the woes of hospital emergency rooms across Ontario by limiting patients’ in-person appointments.

Almost 220,000 Toronto students use food programs every day. What happens when school is out for summer?
Toronto Star
Comments by Katerina Maximova
Simone Gordon has eight children and heavily relies on the food support programs offered at her kids’ schools to provide nutritious meals during the day. But from June to September when school is out, it’s a struggle.

Canada’s COVID-19 response in first 2 years of pandemic compares well with other countries’ measures
Hospital News
Comments by Dr. Fahad Razak
Compared with other G10 countries, Canada handled the first 2 years of the COVID-19 pandemic well by most measures, according to an analysis in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal).

July 11

If you got COVID early this year, you can get reinfected now, U of T study finds
Toronto Star
Comments by Dr. Prabhat Jha
If you were vaccinated or recovered from COVID-19 before 2022, you may not be as safe from reinfection as you think, according to a new antibody test that offers a clear window into the body’s immunity.

How to deal with constipation during pregnancy
Today’s Parent
Comments by Suzanne Wong
Constipation is often an early sign of pregnancy, and sometimes it continues for all nine months (sorry!). Here’s what you can do to get relief from pregnancy constipation.

July 10

Ending Canada’s HIV epidemic one diagnosis at a time
IMS Magazine
Comments by Dr. Sean Rourke
It is estimated that about 70,000 Canadians are living with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). Thankfully, advances in treatment, increased awareness about preventative measures, and efforts to combat stigma have both improved the prognosis of people with the virus and slowed its transmission across Canada.

July 8

The BA.5 subvariant is fuelling another COVID wave
CBC News
Comments by Dr. Fahad Razak
A highly transmissible variant of the coronavirus is spreading through Canada, driving another wave of infections, even among those who have recently recovered from COVID-19.

July 7

How another COVID-19 wave could impact ERs
CBC News – The National
Interview with Dr. Fahad Razak
With some emergency rooms closed because of COVID-related staff shortages, Ian Hanomansing talks to Dr. Fahad Razak, from Ontario’s COVID-19 science advisory panel, and Michael Cohen, president of Perth and Smith Falls District Hospital, about how more cases could further impact ERs.

Cryptic pregnancy: How common it is, symptoms and complications
Today’s Parent
Comments by Dr. Yolanda Kirkham
Cryptic pregnancy, also known as unknown pregnancy, is when a pregnant person is unaware they are expecting. Here’s what you need to know.

July 6

Common injections don’t help knee osteoarthritis more than placebo, large data review finds
Stat News
Comments by Bruno da Costa
A commonly used treatment for people with knee osteoarthritis is barely more effective than the placebo effect in reducing pain and improving function, a new review of 50 years of data found.

July 5

A Hariri Pontarini–designed Toronto clinic provides a calming ambience for MS patients
Architectural Record
Comments by Dr. Jiwon Oh
Dr. Jiwon Oh passed through the waiting room of the BARLO MS Centre and saw a patient whose appointment at the multiple sclerosis clinic wasn’t for a couple of hours. “I assumed it was a mistake,” the neurologist and head of the facility recalls. “But, no: he told me, ‘I wanted to come early, just to spend some time in the space.’ ”

COVID’s Omicron waves saw lower-income Ontarians die at higher rates, analysis shows
Toronto Star
Comments by Dr. Sharmistha Mishra
Lower-income Ontarians continue to die of COVID-19 at much higher rates than those with higher incomes — a troubling pattern repeated in each of the province’s six pandemic waves, new data shows.

Monkeypox case count reaches 300 in Canada
Medscape
Comments by Dr. Darrell Tan
A total of 300 confirmed cases of monkeypox have been reported in Canada as of July 4, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC). This total includes 211 cases in Quebec, 77 in Ontario, 8 in Alberta, and 4 in British Columbia.

July 4

Wait times for hospital admission from the ER are at a record high in Ontario. It’s a symptom of a system-wide crisis
Toronto Star
Comments by Dr. Carolyn Snider
In the emergency department of Toronto’s Michael Garron Hospital more than 300 people a day seek medical help, an increase of 40 to 50 per cent from pre-pandemic times. At St. Michael’s Hospital, the emergency department is seeing patients who are much sicker than those who sought care before COVID-19.

July 3

Omicron deadlier for Ontario seniors than previous two waves combined
Toronto Star
Comments by Dr. Sharmistha Mishra
Even as Ontario began reopening its economy and returning to some semblance of normalcy this year, COVID-19 was wreaking havoc on the lives of older residents — killing them at higher rates than the past two waves, new data shows.

Canada handled COVID-19 well by most measures
770 CHQR Calgary
Interview with Dr. Arthur Slutsky
Throughout the pandemic, the one thing that has been consistent is the division of opinions of Canadians on how various levels of government medical officials handled things, from wide-ranging support to outright condemnation. A study by a group of Canadian researchers looked at how Canada handled things compared to other countries and the results are encouraging.

July 1

Patient education: creating content, delivering sessions, and meeting needs
Health Literacy Out Loud podcast
Interview with Tedi Brash
Tedi Brash and Melissa Yan are based in Toronto, Canada. They, along with Rashmi Bhide, are authors of the terrific how-to resource, “A Guide to Developing Live Virtual Group Patient Education: Nine Steps to Success.”

Meet five Canadian MS researchers to get excited about
MS Blog
Comments by Dr. Kristen Krysko
Canadians are known for many things – our hockey teams, maple syrup production, and universal healthcare come to mind – but our MS researchers don’t usually top the list.

What a bariatric surgeon wishes you knew about obesity
Hospital News
Q&A with Dr. James Jung
Nearly 30 per cent of Canadian adults have obesity, yet despite its prevalence and association with serious chronic diseases like diabetes and hypertension, stigma remains a barrier to patients seeking proper treatment and care.

June 29

Opioids may cause more harm than good after mild to moderate surgery
Rx List
Comments by Dr. Karim Ladha
Opioid prescriptions after minor to moderate surgeries do not reduce pain after patient discharge, according to a new meta-analysis. Researchers also found that patients given opioid prescriptions are at higher risk of adverse events, including vomiting, nausea, and constipation.

Cannabis users are at greater risk for emergency and inpatient care: study
Fox News
Comments by Dr. Nick Vozoris
People who used cannabis visited emergency rooms or were hospitalized 22 per cent more often than those who did not use cannabis, according to a recent study published in the BMJ Open Respiratory Research.

Growing cardiovascular services to address high incidence of heart disease
Hospital News
Comments by Dr. Neil Fam
When Trevor Meynert began feeling chest discomfort in September 2019, he didn’t think it was anything serious. Two days later, an interventional cardiologist at William Osler Health System’s (Osler’s) Brampton Civic Hospital was inserting a stent into one of his heart’s major arteries to open a complete blockage.

Are the kids overdiagnosing themselves? (clip – full segment)
TVO – The Agenda
Interview with Dr. Thomas Ungar
The common criticism of psychiatry has been that it tends to overprescribe and “medicalize” regular human emotion. But, according to some psychiatrists, including Ralph Lewis, the opposite has been occurring. Some patients, often young people, are insisting on a diagnosis, even if their symptoms do not meet the criteria for it. What’s going on? Is this a good problem to have – or just a problem?

CNO sets new record for registering internationally educated nurses
CNO.org
Comments by Manpreet Kaur
The College of Nurses of Ontario (CNO) set a new record for registering Internationally Educated Nurses, breaking last year’s record in just six months. As of June 21, 2022, the number of new internationally educated registrants reached 3,967 — a 132% increase compared to this time last year.

June 28

Searching for startups in Waterloo Region post pandemic
Waterloo Region Record
St. Michael’s Hospital is mentioned
Steven Woods is looking for the magic. “Frankly, I am very excited,” said Woods in an interview as he comes up on his first anniversary as a venture capitalist. “I see five, six, seven, eight great startups a week, for sure, in Canada.”

New study examines cannabis use and emergency room visits
CTV News
Comments by Dr. Nicholas Vozoris
Emergency room visits and hospitalizations are 22 per cent higher among Canadians who use cannabis than among those who don’t, according to a new study.

Omicron subvariant expected to become dominant strain in Ontario: science table head
CBC News
Comments by Dr. Fahad Razak
The head of Ontario’s COVID-19 science table says a subvariant of Omicron is soon expected to become the dominant strain in the province.

Put down the bong — Pot users more likely to land in hospital
Daily Beast
Comments by Dr. Nick Vozoris
In a new study published today in the journal BMJ Open Respiratory Research, Canadian researchers found weed smokers visited the emergency room or were hospitalized 22 percent more than those who didn’t use cannabis.

June 27

Canada outperformed most G10 countries during first two years of pandemic response: study
CTV News
Comments by Dr. Fahad Razak
Canada handled key aspects of the response to the COVID-19 pandemic better in the first two years of the health emergency than most G10 countries, according to a new study.

Canada has handled COVID better than its peers, but we can’t rest on our laurels
The Globe and Mail
Op-Ed co-written by Dr. Fahad Razak and Dr. Arthur Slutsky
The world recently marked two years since the WHO’s declaration of COVID-19 as a global pandemic. With the third year of the pandemic unfolding, it seems timely to reflect on Canada’s experience relative to other countries as we chart a way forward.

June 26

Telus Health probe renews debate about private companies’ role in Canadian health care
Toronto Star
Comments by Dr. Danyaal Raza
Twelve years ago, Nathan March dropped his plans to become a student pilot due to frequent migraines and constant stomach pain. The Vancouver resident, then in his mid-20s, didn’t have a family doctor. He tried his mother’s doctor, getting a brief appointment before he was referred to a neurologist and gastroenterologist, waiting months to see each.

June 24

Canadian ERs face record wait times, closures amid labour shortages and resurgence of viruses
The Globe and Mail
Comments by Dr. Tara Kiran
Emergency rooms are stretched beyond capacity, with some forced to close, as a result of problems that include a major shortage of health care staff, a resurgence of viruses and a lack of available beds in hospitals and long-term care.

Doctors, nurses and other health-care workers demand Ontario provide workers with 10 paid sick days
Toronto Star
Comments by Dr. Shazeen Suleman and Dr. Naheed Dosani
All workers, especially those in low-wage and precarious employment, need 10 permanent paid sick days or their health will suffer, diseases such as COVID-19 will be more likely to spread — and more people will end up in the hospital.

June 23

No, yeast infections don’t just happen in vaginas
Chatelaine
Comments by Dr. Tali Bogler
If you have an itchy spot in your armpit, a suspicious white film around your fingernails, or red rash on your upper thigh, it might be more than a skin irritation—it could be a yeast infection. That’s right, they don’t just happen in the vagina.

Catching monkeypox can mean extreme pain, hospital trips — and weeks of isolation
CBC News
Comments by Dr. Darrell Tan
In late May, not long after he’d gotten through a mild bout of COVID-19, Peter Kelly spiked a sudden fever. He quickly realized it wasn’t the tail end of a COVID infection.

June 21

‘What’s Next?’ Fahad Razak on Ontario’s Science Table and COVID-19
Temerty Faculty of Medicine – University of Toronto
Q&A with Dr. Fahad Razak
Fahad Razak became the scientific director of Ontario’s COVID-19 Science Advisory Table last month, and already he’s been at the centre of questions on mask mandates, wastewater signals and the Table’s move from the University of Toronto to Public Health Ontario.

June 20

Canada MonkeyPox cases rise to 168
CTV News Channel
Interview with Dr. Prabhat Jha
Dr. Prabhat Jha joins CTV News Channel to discuss MonkeyPox in Canada.

June 19

Tears. Doubts. Death threats. And a job well done. COVID-19 warrior Peter Jüni bids Ontario adieu
Toronto Star
Interview with Dr. Peter Jüni
It’s a beautiful day on a rooftop patio and Peter Jüni is screwing up his face, trying not to cry. He is sitting next to flower boxes in the afternoon sunshine, and it’s gorgeous here.

Middle management: Evaluating new insights to obesity and weight control options
Endocrine News
Comments by Dr. Gillian Booth
Obesity and its sequelae continue to jeopardize patients’ health and keep our healthcare system in a tailspin. But researchers are doing their utmost to bring new insights into this complex disease to help clinicians and patients better manage obesity and its comorbidities and maybe even prevent them.

June 16

Ontario’s COVID-19 wastewater signal is going up again. Here’s what that means
Toronto Star
Comments by Dr. Fahad Razak
After a month of sustained decline, Ontario’s COVID-19 wastewater signal is once again on the rise — suggesting an increase in the number of cases in the province.

What a human rights complaint by Alberta’s only female cardiovascular surgeon says about sexism in surgery
CBC News
Comments by Dr. Nancy Baxter and Dr. Marisa Louridas
For more than three decades, Dr. Teresa Kieser has served patients at the Foothills Medical Centre in Calgary as Alberta’s only female cardiovascular surgeon. She’s been recognized globally for her work and had several medical and research papers published.

June 14

Here’s what the experts say about Ottawa lifting COVID-19 vaccine mandates for travel
Toronto Star
Comments by Dr. Fahad Razak
With summer holidays looming and Canada on the downside of the latest Omicron wave, federal officials are dropping vaccine mandates for domestic travel, loosening another COVID-19 protection that’s been with us for almost a year.

New research suggests center-based childcare may bring health benefits
Medical Xpress
Comments by Michaela Kucab and Dr. Jonathon Maguire
A new study conducted in Canada found that children who attended center-based childcare between 1 and 4 years of age had a lower body mass index (BMI) and were less likely to be overweight or obese in later childhood than children who had non-parental childcare that was home-based or provided by relatives or nannies. These associations were stronger for children from lower income families.

June 13

Lifting more mask mandates: What’s the impact?
CBC Radio – Ontario Today
Interview with Dr. Fahad Razak
Epidemiologist Dr. Fahad Razak, Scientific Director of Ontario’s COVID-19 Science Advisory Table, helps fill in some of the gaps on what you still need to know to stay safe amid this latest pandemic surge.

Canada moves to decriminalize possession of ‘hard’ drugs
Wired
Comments by Dr. Dan Werb
On Tuesday, May 31, the Canadian government made a ruling that was the first of its kind for the country. Starting on January 31, 2023, the province of British Columbia will conduct a trial—lasting three years—in which people over the age of 18 will be able to possess up to 2.5 grams of opioids, cocaine, methamphetamine, and MDMA without arrest, seizure, or charge.

June 12

Ontario family doctors in a ‘tricky situation’ when it comes to mask mandates
Toronto Star
Comments by Dr. Tara Kiran
Ontario’s mask requirements for high-risk settings, including doctor’s offices and hospitals, expired on Saturday. Yet, some Toronto hospitals are still keeping mask mandates.

June 10

Landlord and Tenant Board of Ontario sticks to virtual hearings as COVID restrictions lift, leaving some tenants disadvantaged
Toronto Star
Comments by Dr. Nav Persaud
The body responsible for resolving disputes between tenants and landlords in Ontario will be permanently holding virtual hearings.

June 8

Do babies need to crawl?
Today’s Parent
Comments by Dr. Ripudaman Minhas
Earlier this year, crawling—which was previously considered a milestone reached around 9 months—was removed from the CDC’s main milestone checklists for babies in the United States, to the surprise of many parents and paediatric development experts.

June 2

The Thread: The Ontario Election
TVO
Interview with Dr. Tara Kiran
Join Nam Kiwanuka and field reporter Jeyan Jeganathan as they talk to Ontarians about the pain points that might be informing their vote this election.

June 1

Omicron triples Canada’s COVID-19 infection count, study shows
Hospital News
Comments by Dr. Prabhat Jha and Dr. Patrick Brown
Nearly 30 per cent of Canadian adults – nine million people – were infected during the Omicron variant wave early in 2022, compared with just 10 per cent who had been infected in the previous four waves, according to a new study led by Toronto researchers.

Ontario NDP would decriminalize simple drug possession, Liberals not considering it
CBC News
Comments by Dr. Tara Gomes
Ontario’s New Democrats would work with Ottawa on decriminalizing drugs for personal use if the party is elected to form government this week, but the provincial Liberals aren’t considering a similar move.

How would a stronger health care system support the economy?
The Globe and Mail
Comments by Dr. Danyaal Raza
The pandemic has been an unwelcome reminder of how much health matters not only to our own lives, but to the lives – and livelihoods – of all Canadians. Over the past two years, delayed care and surgical backlogs have led to premature deaths. The pandemic has also disrupted supply chains, business operations and employee productivity. What approaches and strategies will recognize the linkages between a healthy population and a healthy economy?

May 29

To prioritize children’s health, we must prioritize decent work
Toronto Star
Op-ed co-written by Dr. Shazeen Suleman
With nearly one in five children in Canada living in poverty, Canada scores poorly compared to other countries, ranking 24th out of 35 industrialized nations. In Toronto — dubbed the “child poverty capital of Canada” — nearly 25 per cent of children live in poverty.

May 28

Spain may soon legislate paid menstrual leave. Should Canada follow suit?
Global News
Comments by Dr. Yolanda Kirkham
As Spain becomes the first European country to propose a bill on paid time off for people who suffer from painful periods, a gynecologist in Toronto says menstrual leave is something Canadian companies can consider without having to wait for a bill to come through.

May 27

Toronto health leaders working to stop monkeypox misconceptions, LGBTQ2S+ community stigma
CityNews
Comments by Dr. Darrell Tan
With at least one confirmed monkeypox case in Toronto, efforts are ramping up to address any early misconceptions about the virus and reduce potential stigma.

Ontario needs a government that will legislate health, not poverty
Toronto Star
Op-ed co-written by Dr. Gary Bloch
Health care is not what makes us healthy. Enough food, a decent place to live, rich social and community connections, and freedom from discrimination make us healthy. Underlying all of those, having a high enough income to live with dignity is an absolute prerequisite for health.

May 23

Toronto’s homeless encampments are back on the fringes. Here’s why that’s a problem
Toronto Star
Comments by Dr. Stephen Hwang
In a narrow crevice between the soft earth of the Rosedale ravine and a concrete bridge just below Bloor Street, a 32-year-old man has lived in a makeshift camp, on and off, for months.

May 19

Monkeypox sign of disease ‘new normal’?
Toronto Sun
Comments by Dr. Kamran Khan
Monkeypox cases are being reported from around the world. The first case in Europe in early May was in the U.K. — someone who had visited Nigeria — and after that, Reuters said Thursday, Portugal reported 14 cases and Spain has at least 20.

Help us fix family doctor shortage ‘crisis,’ GPs tell Ontario election candidates
Etobicoke Guardian
Comments by Dr. Tara Kiran
The Ontario College of Family Physicians (OCFP) recently launched its campaign, “Life Without A Doctor,” to put what it says is the province’s lack of equitable access to a family doctor front and centre in the provincial election.

More Post-COVID rehab programs needed in Ontario
Cambridge Today
Comments by Dr. Ashley Verduyn
The number of people experiencing post-COVID, also known as long COVID, symptoms is rising, with over 200 symptoms reported and no concrete testing criteria in place.

May 18

COVID infections among Canadian adults tripled during Omicron wave compared to previous waves: study
Canadian Press
Comments by Dr. Patrick Brown
The number of Canadian adults infected with COVID-19 tripled during the fifth wave of the pandemic compared with the total number of adults infected in the previous four waves, according to a new study led by Toronto researchers.

30 % des Canadiens adultes ont été infectés pendant la cinquième vague, selon une étude
Radio‑Canada ICI Toronto
Commentaires du Dr Patrick Brown
Près de neuf millions de Canadiens adultes ont été infectés par la COVID-19 durant la cinquième vague de la pandémie, stimulée par le variant Omicron, selon la plus récente étude menée par des chercheurs de Toronto.

Toronto city council to commemorate Canada’s first two Black doctors
CityNews
Comments by Dr. Nav Persaud
Toronto City Council recently voted to celebrate Canada’s first two Black doctors with a pair of plaques close to where they lived, learned and practiced.

May 17

Revolutionize healthcare by delivering AI solutions developed at St. Michael’s to hospitals around the world
Hospital News
Comments by Dr. Muhammad Mamdani
Unity Health Toronto is collaborating with Signal 1, a company led by Canadian entrepreneur Tomi Poutanen, to improve patient outcomes and transform healthcare using artificial intelligence (AI).

May 16

About 11 per cent of admitted COVID patients return to hospital or die within 30 days: study
CTV News
Comments by Dr. Amol Verma
A new study offers a closer look at possible factors that may lead to some hospitalized COVID-19 patients being readmitted within a month of discharge.

May 15

Saved by transplants, terrified of navigating COVID: Kidney recipients still face grave risks at this stage of the pandemic
Toronto Star
Comments by Dr. Darren Yuen, Galo Meliton and Sharon Lee
At the end of 2019, just weeks before Canada announced its first case of COVID-19, Nancy Tran got what she calls her second chance at life.

May 12

Unknown hepatitis in kids is ‘exceedingly rare’
CTV News
Interview with Dr. Tali Bogler
St. Michael’s Hospital family physician Dr. Tali Bogler says the unknown type of hepatitis is ‘most likely not a vaccine-related injury.’

Symptoms linger two years for some; inflammatory protein patterns may provide long COVID clues
Reuters
Comments by Korryn Bodner
Half of the COVID-19 patients discharged from a Chinese hospital in early 2020 still have at least one symptom two years later, a new study shows.

Ontario political parties promise help on opioid crisis as election looms
Canadian Press
Comments by Dr. Tara Gomes
Paolo Dinola doesn’t really care who wins the provincial election so long as the next government tries to save others from the fate of his son, who became another statistic last year in Ontario’s surging opioid crisis.

Why is healthcare key for you in this election?
CBC Radio – Ontario Morning
Comments by Dr. Nav Persaud
Nurses are leaving their jobs. Patients are without family doctors. Dr. Nav Persaud, Canada Research Chair in Health Justice, breaks down for us what the political parties are promising.

May 11

Health care in Canada
The Globe and Mail Events
Interview with Dr. Danyaal Raza
How might it drive economic growth?

Should Canadian parents be worried about hepatitis in kids?
Today’s Parent
Comments by Dr. Anne Wormsbecker
The headlines are scary. Kids around the world are getting hepatitis and no one knows why. At least 20 countries have reported unusual cases of acute hepatitis in children in recent months, prompting health agencies to investigate whether these cases are connected.

Has the pandemic made mental health an election issue?
TVO – The Agenda
Interview with Dr. Thomas Ungar
The pandemic put even more pressure on an already over-taxed mental-health system in Ontario. What are each party’s plans to meet this surging demand? Should there be universal, publicly-funded talk therapy in the province? And is mental health a major ballot box issue in 2022?

Science table replacement
CBC Radio – Windsor Morning
Interview with Dr. Fahad Razak
Doctor Fahad Razak, the new scientific director of the science table, speaks with CBC Windsor Morning host Peter Duck.

May 10

Postpartum depression in fathers ‘very real,’ researchers say
Global News
Comments by Dr. Cindy Lee Dennis
From being present in the delivery room to homeschooling and figuring out childcare options, researchers say fathers are becoming more active in their children’s care in recent years.

May 9

‘Be soft, but honest’: Dr. Peter Jüni reflects as he leaves Ontario COVID-19 science table post
CBC News
Interview with Dr. Peter Jüni
When Dr. Peter Jüni goes out in public, he gets recognized, even when he’s got his mask on. A woman came up to him in a Home Depot recently because she spotted his hair.

May 6

This 96-year-old has been singing to hospital patients for 30 years
CBC News
Profile of George Linton; Comments by Susan Bertoldi
If you’ve seen a 96-year-old man lugging a guitar or belting out a tune in Toronto hospitals, it was probably George Linton.

Forget brunch and flowers: ‘Touched out’ moms just want to be left alone Mother’s Day
Canadian Press
Comments by Dr. Cindy-Lee Dennis
For many moms, Mother’s Day is a welcome chance to indulge in a lavish brunch, receive a special gift or spend meaningful time with their families. But many new moms are discovering a much different impulse once their newborn arrives: the desire to be left alone.

Asking For A Friend: Red wine is good for you, right?
Healthing
Comments by Dr. Chi Ming Chow
Whether you’re a daily sipper or reserve that glass or two of wine for noteworthy occasions, it can be tempting to think that alcohol isn’t so bad for your health. You might feel more relaxed and better able to connect socially with your dinner companions.

May 5

Where the parties stand: On the opioid crisis
TVO
Comments by Dr. Tara Gomes
Opioids have killed almost 10,000 people in Ontario over the past five years, according to data from Ontario’s Office of the Chief Coroner. Nearly 3,000 people died of confirmed or probable opioid-related causes in 2021 alone — a figure that equates to roughly eight people per day — the highest rate of fatal opioid overdoses ever recorded in the province.

Nearly 15 million people died in COVID-19 pandemic: WHO
CBC News – The National
Comments by Dr. Prabhat Jha
The World Health Organization estimates almost 15 million people around the world have died as a result of COVID-19 or the pandemic’s burden on health-care systems over the past two years.

Death toll during pandemic far exceeds totals reported by countries, WHO says
New York Times
Comments by Dr. Prabhat Jha
In Mexico, the excess death toll during the first two years of the pandemic was twice as high as the government’s official tally of Covid deaths. In Egypt, excess deaths were roughly 12 times as great as the official Covid toll. In Pakistan, the figure was eight times as high.

May 2

Vegetarian and meat-eating children have similar growth and nutrition but not weight, study finds
CNN
Comments by Dr. Jonathon Maguire
If you’re wondering how your child might fare on a vegetarian diet, a new study offers some factors to consider.

Opioid related-deaths rising
CBC Radio – Ontario Morning
Interview with Dr. Tara Gomes (starts at 2:32)
New data shows opioid-related deaths have once again jumped in Ontario — more than 2,800 people died in 2021. We spoke about it with drug policy researcher Tara Gomes.

Bridging the gaps in healthcare
Desi News
Profile of Dr. Nav Persaud
A superhero’s cape would not be out of place for a champion of patient safety, social justice and health equity. As such, Canada Research Chair in Health Justice is a fitting mantle for Dr Nav Persaud, who has made a name for himself for tirelessly advocating for health equity.

April 29

COVID-19 prevention drug Evusheld to arrive in Ontario next week
Toronto Star
Comments by Dr. Darren Yuen
The first shipments of the COVID-19 prevention drug Evusheld are expected to arrive in Ontario the first week of May, with doses initially being administered to patients at highest risk of getting severely sick and dying of the virus.

Toronto physician named new scientific director of provincial COVID-19 advisory group
CBC News
Comments by Dr. Fahad Razak
Ontario’s expert COVID-19 advisory group has named a Toronto physician as its new scientific director.

April 27

They test drugs so users know what they’re really taking
CBC Toronto
Feature on St. Michael’s Drug Checking Service
Community health workers involved in this pilot program say finding out what’s in the drug supply is more important than ever. But even though their system just went digital, funding for the project is set to expire later this year.

April 26

From universal pharmacare to affordable housing, experts break down provincial NDP’s election platform
CBC Radio – Metro Morning
Interview with Dr. Nav Persaud (starts at 6:10)
Dr. Persaud joined Metro Morning to share his thoughts on the provincial NDP’s election platform.

April 25

TD’s AI chief quits to start health care firm, backed by bank and Inovia Capital
The Globe and Mail
Unity Health’s collaboration with Signal 1 profiled; comments by Dr. Tim Rutledge
Four years ago, Tomi Poutanen sold his artificial intelligence startup Layer 6 to Toronto-Dominion Bank for more than US$100-million and became TD’s chief AI officer. TD used Layer 6′s AI engine for dozens of applications, such as predicting when customers might buy homes and detecting fraudulent insurance claims.

April 21

Endometriosis, and the problem of women’s pain being overlooked or misdiagnosed
CBC Radio – The Current
Interview with Dr. Sheila Wijayasinghe
Endometriosis can cause chronic and debilitating pain for women — but it can take years to diagnose and is often missed by doctors.

Why body mass index isn’t the best measure of health
Reader’s Digest Canada
Comments by Dr. Fahad Razak
Although the metric can predict health risk for some, BMI is nearly useless for many people.

A racial justice agenda for medicare
Policy Options
Op-ed by Dr. Danyaal Raza, Dr. Ritika Goel and Dr. Suzanne Shoush
Medicare is often referred to as the highest beacon of Canadian values, a great equalizer among people of all walks of life. While for many this is the story of “Canada the Good,” and a history linked to the narrative of Canada, for others the truth is more complex.

Canadians can make significant health gains by reducing traffic-related air pollution, report says
The Globe and Mail
Comments by Dr. Samantha Green
Canadians stand to make significant gains to their health and well-being by reducing the number of fossil fuel-burning cars and trucks on roadways and limiting exposure to traffic-related air pollution, a broad review of scientific literature on the subject has found.

April 20

Province will invest more than $1B to redevelop St. Joseph’s Health Centre
Etobicoke Guardian
Comments by Dr. Tim Rutledge
The Ontario government will invest more than $1 billion to redevelop and expand Unity Health Toronto’s St. Joseph’s Health Centre.

April 19

Elliott announces over $1B in funding for expansion of Toronto’s St. Joseph’s Health Centre
Global News
Ontario Deputy Premier and Health Minister Christine Elliott announced Tuesday the province would invest more than $1 billion on the expansion of Toronto’s St. Joseph’s Health Centre. She said the funding would result in more than 100 new beds, new spaces for operating rooms and critical care and an expanded emergency department.

Product label changes do not prevent accidental acetaminophen overdoses: Study
The Print
Comments by Dr. Tony Antoniou
Changes to acetaminophen product labels did not decrease rates of hospitalization for accidental acetaminophen overdoses, according to a new study.

April 18

Where to find Paxlovid in Toronto and the GTA
Toronto Star
Comments by Dr. Tara Kiran
If you test positive, have symptoms of COVID-19 and are high-risk, you could benefit from Paxlovid, an antiviral medication that’s now available, with a prescription, at dozens of pharmacies across the GTA.

April 17

How to get Paxlovid in Ontario for COVID-19 treatment: Your questions answered
CTV News
Comments by Dr. Tara Kiran
More people are now eligible to receive antiviral treatments for COVID-19—treatments that may be able to reduce severe symptoms and prevent hospitalization.

April 14

Canada has approved a COVID-19 prevention drug. Here’s who qualifies for Evusheld
Toronto Star
Comments by Dr. Darren Yuen
Health Canada has approved AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 prevention drug Evusheld for individuals with weaker immune systems, offering another layer of protection for those at high risk of getting severely ill with the virus.

Analyzing science table’s new COVID modelling
CP24
Interview with Dr. Fahad Razak
Discussion of the new COVID-19 modelling and what it means for Ontario.

Saskatchewan Has the Lowest Minimum Wage in Canada. Doctors Say It’s Harming the Health of Workers.
Press Progress
Comments by Dr. Danyaal Raza
As groups representing wealthy business interests lobby Saskatchewan’s government to prevent the lowest minimum wage in Canada from increasing, health experts say low wages are causing harm for low-wage workers.

April 12

The role of Paxlovid in tackling COVID-19’s sixth wave
CBC Radio – The Current
Interview with Dr. Tara Kiran (starts at 1:00:34)
Amid a sixth wave of COVID-19 in Canada, could increased access to the antiviral pill Paxlovid help patients?

Ontario government launching independent review into WSIB process for toxic workplaces
Peterborough Examiner
MAP Centre for Urban Health Solutions is mentioned
The Ontario government says it’s launching a new independent review of the system that helps people who get sick following exposure to workplace toxins.

April 11

Portable MRI machine could revolutionize health care, Ontario doctors say
Canadian Press
Comments by Dr. Tim Dowdell, Dr. Aditya Bharatha and Dr. Andrew Baker
A portable MRI machine that brings imaging to a patient’s bedside has the potential to revolutionize health care both in major hospitals and in remote areas of the country, doctors say.

How accurate is your rapid test now? Experts weigh in as Omicron fuels 6th wave
CBC News
Comments by Dr. Prabhat Jha
Medical experts say Canadians should keep a supply of rapid antigen tests handy as we head into a summer with almost no public health restrictions in much of the country. But experts add a negative result doesn’t necessarily mean someone’s in the clear.

The Landlord and Tenant Board must resume in-person hearings
Toronto Star
Op-Ed written by Dr. Nav Persaud and Dr. Stephen Hwang
As malls and coffee shops reopened after a long COVID winter, the doors have remained locked on an institution that keeps people housed: Ontario’s Landlord and Tenant Board.

April 9

Family’s scramble to find COVID drug Paxlovid for their ailing dad highlights challenges with access
Toronto Star
Comments by Dr. Tara Kiran
When Derek McGivern’s dad tested positive for COVID-19, he knew the clock was ticking. Due to multiple medical issues, his 70-something father was at risk, and McGivern knew the antiviral pill Paxlovid — which must be taken within five days of the first symptoms — could help keep him out of the hospital.

April 8

Precarious work, unfair wage, not enough sick days: What experts say is exacerbating the COVID-19 pandemic
Toronto Star
Comments by Dr. Danyaal Raza
Precarious employment, unfair wages and too few paid sick days are exacerbating the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a new report.

April 7

“We should have waited to lift mask mandates”: A Q&A with Dr. Peter Jüni, head of Ontario’s Science Advisory Table, about the recent surge of infections
Toronto Life
Interview with Dr. Peter Jüni
Last month, the head of Ontario’s Science Advisory Table said it was too early to lift mask mandates. A few weeks, and more than 100,000 new daily infections later, Dr. Peter Jüni says it’s still not too late to make a difference.

April 6

How Omicron is changing the way rapid tests should be used
Toronto Star
Comments by Dr. Kevin Schwartz
Science moves quickly in the arms race against the ever-evolving COVID-19 virus. Now, a growing number of medical experts and health authorities say the way at-home COVID tests are used needs to be adjusted to better detect Omicron and its subvariant.

Departing Ontario COVID-19 adviser reflects on life away from the public eye
Global News
Interview with Dr. Peter Jüni
The outgoing director of the Ontario COVID-19 Science Advisory Table says he is looking forward to a quiet life when he moves to England sometime in April.

Federal budget preview
CBC News – Canada Tonight
Interview with Dr. Danyaal Raza (segment starts at 26:04)
What needs to be done to address the issues the pandemic has exposed in our health care system?

Why pharmacare plans keep stalling in Canada — even as research suggests billions in savings
CBC News
Comments by Dr. Nav Persaud
While the federal Liberals have pledged to make progress toward a national pharmacare program through a recent deal with the NDP, health care advocates warn those efforts are moving too slowly — putting people’s health at risk and taking a financial toll on Canada’s hospital system.

April 5

Choir group Voices Rock Medicine are health-care workers looking to inspire
Canada’s Got Talent
Performance by physicians including Drs. Sarah Kim, Carolyn Snider, Daphne Williams and Christine Song
Voices Rock Medicine is a choir of diverse women physicians who find joy through singing. No experience required!

Do you really need a fourth COVID-19 shot? Here’s what the federal advisory committee says
Toronto Star
Comments by Dr. Tara Kiran
Canada should get ready to rapidly deploy fourth doses of COVID vaccine in the coming weeks as protection against the virus continues to wane, particularly for those 80 and older, the national body responsible for vaccination advice said Tuesday.

April 4

What to make of mixed messages on masking?
CP24
Interview with Dr. Fahad Razak
Dr. Razak and Samantha Yammine break down some of the conflicting messages Ontario residents are seeing around masking.

Why do some people seem unable to catch COVID? Scientists are looking for answers.
USA Today
Comments by Dr. Prabhat Jha
One of the lingering mysteries of the COVID-19 pandemic is why some people get infected without getting sick and others don’t get infected at all, despite exposure.

April 3

It’s time for a new COVID-19 vaccination strategy in Ontario, experts urge
Canadian Press
Comments by Dr. Fahad Razak
Ontario is entering a sixth wave of COVID-19 with few remaining public health measures and experts say now is the time for a renewed vaccination strategy aimed at boosting third-dose uptake, shots for kids and preparing for wider fourth doses.

April 1

Academic medicine leadership lessons
Society of Teachers of Family Medicine Podcast
Interview with Dr. Gary Bloch
What separates a good leader from a great one? In-depth interviews with some of family medicine’s most influential leaders provide insight into pivotal experiences that boosted leadership skills and provided unprecedented opportunities for personal growth.

March 31

Considerations for executing COVID-19 vaccination clinics
Healio
Interview with Dr. Andrew Pinto
In this video, Andrew Pinto, MD, CCFP, FRCPC, MSc, discusses best practices for planning and implementing successful COVID-19 vaccination clinics in Canada and the United States.

Liberal-NDP deal promises nothing more than a pharmacare pantomime
The Hill Times
OpEd by Dr. Nav Persaud
It is not clear what is new in this announcement. Pharmacare remains just beyond the next election horizon.

Hospitals are experiencing a global blood tube shortage
Hospital News
OpEd written by Dr. Dan Beriault
Canadians have become much more aware of health care supply chain issues during the COVID-19 pandemic. In spring 2020, personal protective equipment (PPE) like masks and gloves were scarce due to skyrocketing demand. While those have become steadily more plentiful, supply chain issues still plague our health care system.

The COVID-19 surgery crisis is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to re-imagine surgery delivery in Canada
Hospital News
OpEd co-written by Dr. David Gomez
Access to elective surgery has been decimated by the COVID-19 pandemic. The first three months alone were responsible for over 28 million elective surgeries being delayed or postponed worldwide.

How Toronto’s PocketHealth learned to sell technology to cash-strapped Canadian hospitals
The Globe and Mail
Comments by Dawn Marie-King
Canada’s publicly funded health care system is a notoriously frustrating market for domestic medical technology vendors to crack. Many complain they can’t land a sale in their own backyard because of stingy, risk-averse buyers, despite success abroad. It’s a problem that has surfaced in several government reports and that no one seems able to solve.

As some countries roll out fourth doses of COVID vaccine, Canada is struggling to get citizens to take a third
Toronto Star
Comments by Dr. Tara Kiran
The days of the two-shot COVID vaccine regime appear all but over, with countries such as Israel and now the United States opening up widespread access to not just a third shot to bolster waning protection against infection, but a fourth.

March 29

Perinatal mental health with two pregnant social workers
We Go There Podcast
Interview with Kayla Deverson and Melissa Luongo
One in 7 mothers suffer from postpartum depression, and yet they often feel alone or unsure of how to get support.

March 28

Tired of waiting for a COVID vaccine for their toddlers, these parents brought them to a clinical trial in Etobicoke
Toronto Star
Comments by Dr. Anne Wormsbecker
Lauren Socha knows there is a chance her toddler got the placebo instead of the COVID vaccine, but that day in January still felt like a “little bit of hope.”

‘My mom is not the only person COVID has killed this week.’ Who is still dying from the virus in Ontario?
Toronto Star
Comments by Dr. Sharmistha Mishra
Muriel Thompson did everything she could to avoid getting sick with COVID-19. The 79-year-old from Belleville was undergoing treatment for lymphoma and knew the pandemic put her at risk. She was triple-vaxxed, always wore a mask on her rare trips out of the house and kept within her small family bubble.

March 24

‘Time for change’: Toronto launching service to respond to mental health crisis calls
Canadian Press
Comments by Dr. Andrew Pinto
When a mental health crisis call comes in to 911 in certain parts of Toronto next month, a team typically consisting of two people such as a harm-reduction worker and a nurse, or an Indigenous elder and a de-escalation expert – not police – will be the first to respond.

Take this cash and call me in the morning
Boston Globe
Comments by Dr. Gary Bloch
Nine years ago, Dr. Gordon Schiff, a physician at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, offered a patient a medicine that his textbooks had never mentioned: $30 in cash.

March 23

Trying to solve a Covid mystery: Africa’s low death rates
New York Times
Comments by Dr. Prabhat Jha
There are no Covid fears here. The district’s Covid-19 response center has registered just 11 cases since the start of the pandemic, and no deaths. At the regional hospital, the wards are packed — with malaria patients.

March 22

Three drug overdose calls within an hour prompt public safety advisory
CBC News Toronto
Comments by Karen McDonald (segment starts at 4:47)
Police in Peel Region are issuing a warning after three fentanyl overdoses within an hour of each other on Monday night.

March 20

COVID-19 pandemic still hitting low income areas hardest, Ontario’s science table says
CBC News
Comments by Dr. Danyaal Raza
Low income areas in Ontario have borne the brunt of COVID-19 in every single wave of the pandemic, the latest data from the province shows.

March 17

Coronavirus: An old new friend
TVO – The Agenda
Interview with Dr. Dan Werb
When the world was hit with a novel coronavirus two years ago, it was one of the handful of times this pathogen has been present. Or was it?

Educating doctors about the RDSP
Disability Alliance BC
Column by Dr. Gary Bloch (page 16)
Years of working with people who experience disability, most of whom live in poverty and without secure housing, have convinced me that I must address their social situations directly to improve their health.

March 16

Is Ontario ready to ditch masking?
TVO – The Agenda
Interview with Dr. Peter Jüni
Last week, Ontario’s chief medical officer announced that mask mandates will be lifted by March 21. But not everyone thinks it’s a good idea. How do Ontarians navigate the new reality and get back to pre-pandemic sorts of interactions?

Are we prepared for the next pandemic?
CP24
Interview with Dr. Samantha Green
Drs. Adam Kassam, Ross Upshur and Samantha Green discuss lessons learned from the COVID pandemic and how prepared are we for the next one.

To end COVID-19, we have to admit that we’ve failed
TIME
OpEd by Dr. Dan Werb
In 1985, the first HIV vaccine trial was launched with great fanfare. The previous year, Margaret Heckler, the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, confidently declared that an HIV vaccine would be created within two years. But almost four decades after the initial discovery of the HIV virus, there is still no viable HIV/AIDS vaccine.

March 15

How can hospitals learn to live with COVID-19?
Toronto Star
Comments by Dr. Muahmmad Mamdani
The pandemic’s toll on our health-care system is clear. Surgeons have performed 560,000 fewer procedures than usual. Nursing staff are facing burnout from working overtime to manage surges, and 77 per cent of those who have dealt directly with COVID-19 patients reported their mental health has worsened.

March 14

Endometriosis Awareness Month
CityNews
Comments by Dr. Yolanda Kirkham
Endometriosis affects 200 million people worldwide but many people say they’ve struggled to get diagnosed and treated for the painful disease.

March 11

Toronto harm reduction advocates call for more frontline worker supports, drug regulation
CJRU.ca
Comments by Hayley Thompson
Juno Zavitz, program coordinator of Breakaway Community Services’ grief, loss, and wellness initiative (GLoW) discusses additional support for harm reduction workers.

Coroner evaluating inquest request on cold-related homeless deaths in Toronto
Canadian Press
Comments by Dr. Stephen Hwang
Ontario’s chief coroner is investigating several cold-related deaths among Toronto’s homeless population and evaluating whether to hold an inquest on the issue.

March 10

Study finds high rates of postpartum depression and anxiety in Canadian fathers
U of T News
Comments by Cindy-Lee Dennis
Nearly 22 per cent of fathers experience high rates of both anxiety and depression at some point in the first year of their child’s life, according to a new study led by Cindy-Lee Dennis, a professor at the University of Toronto’s Lawrence S. Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing and the Women’s Health Research Chair at the Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute at St. Michael’s Hospital.

Winter taking heavy toll on people who are homeless, from amputations to freezing to death
Canadian Press
Comments by Dr. Stephen Hwang
The smell of rotting flesh fills the Toronto shelter room where Pat Gallagher lives in the city’s north end. He unwraps bandages that cover his left foot. His toes look like lumps of black coal. The diagnosis: severe frostbite.

Time for a regular checkup? Here’s what doctors say you should ask about
CBC News
Comments by Dr. Tara Kiran
The pandemic interrupted routines for health, work and family – including regular checkups. So if you haven’t been to see your family doctor since before March 2020, now may be the time.

March 9

Pandemic creates opportunity for change
Winnipeg Free Press
OpEd by Dr. David Gomez
Access to elective surgery has been decimated by the COVID-19 pandemic. The first three months alone were responsible for more than 28 million elective surgeries being delayed or postponed worldwide.

March 8

‘This will have a massive impact’: Blood tube shortage could limit non-essential tests
CTV News
Comments by Dr. Dan Beriault
Health-care providers across Canada are being urged to avoid non-essential blood tests amid a global shortage of medically vital blood collection tubes.

March 7

New palliative care unit designed to improve patient, staff and family experiences
Hospital News
Comments by Maria Dyck and Dr. Jennifer Hopfner
St. Joseph’s Health Centre of Unity Health Toronto will be home to a new palliative care unit with cozy, cottage-inspired finishes, parts of which overlook Lake Ontario.

March 4

Opioid harm reduction in Toronto takes many forms at its best, according to advocates
CJRU.ca
Interview with Hayley Thompson
Juno Zavitz of Breakaway Community Services and Hayley Thompson of the Toronto Drug Checking Service speak to the urgency and importance of diversifying harm reduction strategies in the Toronto opioid crisis.

March 2

Is mandatory COVID-19 vaccination for school attendance the answer to increasing vaccine uptake in children?
Toronto Star
OpEd written by Dr. Sloane Freeman, Dr. Kevin Schwartz and Dr. Ripudaman Minhas
The COVID-19 vaccine is safe, effective, and recommended for children aged 5 years and older, yet, nationwide, COVID-19 vaccine uptake has been low in children 5-11 years of age. To date, only 28 per cent have received two doses.

March 1

Epidemiologist reaction to removing vaccine passports
CBC Radio – Here and Now
Interview with Dr. Fahad Razak
A lot of businesses have decided to drop vaccine passports. But some businesses are still continuing to check vaccine status.

Opioid crisis: More access to take-home treatments didn’t raise risk of overdoses, study says
CTV News
Comments by Dr. Tara Gomes
A new study tracking patients receiving treatment for opioid addiction in Ontario has found that a recommendation change in March 2020 which allowed for more take-home treatments during the pandemic resulted in less overdoses and in more patients staying in the program.

On the frontlines. We can do anything, we could be heroes
Leaside Life
Comments by Dr. Joao Rezende Neto and Orla Smith
In 2020, Leaside Life recognized a number of our residents who were on the frontlines battling, and keeping us safe from, Covid.

February 28

Shortage of lab supplies plagues many Canadian hospitals
Ottawa Citizen
OpEd co-written by Dr. Dan Beriault
Canadians have become much more aware of health-care supply-chain issues during the COVID-19 pandemic. In spring 2020, personal protective equipment (PPE) such as masks and gloves were scarce due to skyrocketing demand. While those have become steadily more plentiful, supply-chain issues still plague our health-care system.

February 26

This international student will help breast cancer patients get the bras they deserve
CBC News
Comments by Dr. Jory Simpson and Jennifer Schultz
For Jennifer Schultz, dealing with breast cancer didn’t stop when she got off the operating table. She relives the pain every time she puts on a bra that doesn’t fit properly or realizes she can’t afford the ones that can.

Food as medicine: Programs, doctors look to fill nutrition prescription
The Globe and Mail
Comments by Dr. John Sivenpiper
Every week at her standing doctor’s appointment, Candace Blanchette is told the same thing: If she eats healthier, that if she loses weight, she’d feel better.

February 25

Biomarkers of radiologically isolated syndrome, MS prodrome clarified with MRI
Healio
Comments by Dr. Jiwon Oh
Advanced diagnostic tools aid in the distinction between radiologically isolated syndrome and MS prodrome, according to a presenter at the ACTRIMS Forum.

Open science, not for-profit discovery, is Canada’s best path to pandemic prevention
The Globe and Mail
OpEd by Dr. Dan Werb
When a cluster of unexplainable pneumonia cases emerged in Hong Kong and the nearby Chinese city of Guangzhou in November, 2002, the world stood rapt. From a few dozen cases, the epidemic grew to include hundreds; as the numbers mounted, so did the deaths. The new pathogen had all the hallmarks of being pandemic-ready: It could transmit itself efficiently across human populations, it killed more than 10 per cent of those that were infected and it was a virus the world had never seen before.

February 24

Advocates call for loosened visitor restrictions at N.B.’s long-term care homes
CBC New Brunswick
Comments by Dr. Ashley Verduyn
As the New Brunswick government loosens restrictions for the general public, some are calling on the government to do the same for residents living in the province’s long-term care homes.

Pedestrian-friendly cities have lower rates of diabetes and obesity
New Scientist
Comments by Dr. Gillian Booth
Diabetes and obesity rates can be reduced by transforming towns and cities into places where it is safe and convenient to walk, cycle or take public transport rather than drive.

February 23

Is it time to end mask mandates in Ont. schools?
CP24
Interview with Dr. Fahad Razak
Mayor Patrick Brown, Dr. Fahad Razak and Dr. Barry Pakes discuss when is the right time to end mask mandates in Ontario schools.

Les sans-abris de Toronto deux fois plus susceptibles de contracter la COVID-19
Radio-Canada ICI Toronto
Commentaires du Dr Tara Kiran
Les personnes en situation d’itinérance à Toronto étaient deux fois plus susceptibles d’avoir un résultat de test positif à la COVID-19 pendant la première vague de la pandémie, selon une nouvelle étude de Unity Health Toronto. Le constat n’est pas une surprise pour plusieurs intervenants du milieu.

February 22

‘A heroic effort that went unrecognized’: Harm reduction workers facing their own burnout
Healthy Debate
Comments by Dr. Gillian Kolla
The “shadow epidemic” lurking in the COVID-19 background is leaving another group of front-line workers battered and bruised. And Ontario’s opioid crisis is expected to get worse over the next six months, according to the latest data.

February 19

You can gather with relatives on Family Day again. Here’s how to stay safe
CBC News
Comments by Dr. Fahad Razak
With COVID-19 cases surging in December, Harry Maghera and his family had to scrap their Christmas dinner in Toronto. But this Family Day weekend, he’s headed to Brampton for a do-over.

February 16

There must be long-term studies of the negative masking impacts on some students
Toronto Star
OpEd written by Dr. Sloane Freeman and Dr. Ripudaman Minhas
With only 16 per cent of Canadian children double vaccinated against COVID-19, masking remains an important strategy for controlling transmission in schools, and keeping them open for in-person learning. However, there are questions around the potential impacts masking may have on the developmental and mental health of school-aged children.

Doctors’ group proposes Ontario fund new surgical centres to catch up on backlog
Canadian Press
Comments by Dr. Mary-Anne Aarts
A professional group representing Ontario doctors is recommending that the province fund a new model of outpatient health-care centres to help tackle a growing backlog of surgeries and other procedures.

‘A lot of grief, loss and trauma’: Drug consumption sites grapple with record number of overdoses
Toronto Star
Comments by Dr. Gillian Kolla
Toronto’s supervised drug consumption sites are seeing a record number of overdoses, while the city’s paramedics responded to more fatal overdoses in 2021 than any other recorded year — all signs that experts say point to a worsening opioid crisis both in Ontario and elsewhere.

February 15

Are vaccine passports no longer ‘absolutely necessary?’
CBC Radio – Metro Morning
Interview with Dr. Fahad Razak
Dr. Razak is an internist and epidemiologist at St. Michael’s Hospital and a member of Ontario’s Science Table.
Ontario hospitals facing critical shortage of blood collection tubes
Toronto Star
Comments by Dr. Cathy Streutker
Ontario hospitals are facing a critical shortage of collection tubes required for routine blood work, forcing some hospitals to direct staff to conserve supplies and reconsider the number of blood tests they order for patients.

Knowing the warning signs of SCAD
CTV Toronto
Comments by Dr. Chi-Ming Chow
SCAD looks a lot like a heart attack, but is a different and equally urgent heart problem that mostly affects relatively young women.

February 14

‘Catastrophic’ surgical backlog in Ontario will take years to clear, doctors say
Toronto Star
Comments by Dr. David Gomez
As the crushing pressure from the Omicron wave eases, Ontario hospitals must now confront a massive surgical backlog that has forced hundreds of thousands of people to wait for scheduled surgeries, including joint replacements, cataract surgeries and some cancer procedures.

Two-thirds of Canadians ready to drop COVID-19 restrictions
National Post
Comments by Dr. Prabhat Jha
Two-thirds of Canadians believe it’s time to drop COVID-19 restrictions and begin living with the virus, according to a new poll.

February 11

Ottawa close to removing pre-arrival COVID-19 test for fully vaccinated Canadian travellers: sources
CBC News
Comments by Dr. Prabhat Jha
The federal government is close to removing mandatory PCR testing for fully vaccinated Canadians who travel outside Canada, sources tell CBC News.

Shortage of blood-test materials leaves hospitals scrambling to treat patients
The Globe and Mail
Comments by Dr. Cathy Streutker and Dr. Fahad Razak
Canadian hospitals and laboratories say the country is facing an unprecedented shortage of tubes necessary to conduct blood tests – and if the supply chain disruption worsens or continues for an extended period, it could result in treatment delays and challenges to providing patient care.

Ottawa facing mounting pressure to drop all COVID-19 testing for fully vaccinated travellers
CBC News
Comments by Dr. Prabhat Jha
Two infectious diseases physicians have joined forces with the travel industry to call for an end to Canada’s pre and post-arrival COVID-19 testing requirements for fully vaccinated travellers.

February 10

Should Ontario accelerate its reopening timeline?
CP24
Interview with Dr. Fahad Razak
Peel Region’s Dr. Lawrence Loh and science table member Dr. Fahad Razak discuss if Ontario should speed up its reopening timeline.

February 5

Pregnant people face addictions too. Instead of shame, we must approach with compassion
Toronto Star
OpEd co-written by Alice Ordean
Substance use during pregnancy is not uncommon. In 2017, approximately 8.2 per cent and 4.2 per cent of people in Canada reported smoking and drinking alcohol during pregnancy, respectively. Rates for illicit drug use may vary considerably and can be as high as 5 per cent.

Once a cornerstone of the pandemic response, COVID-19 testing undergoes a paradigm shift
The Globe and Mail
Comments by Dr. Irfan Dhalla
Over the past two years, mass COVID-19 testing became a pop-up government utility, as essential to a functioning Canada as public transit or snow-free streets. At peak testing rates, nearly 170,000 Canadians a day were lining up to get their nasal discharge swabbed, shipped to a lab and subjected to PCR, or polymerase chain reaction, analysis. The results had the power to upend family holiday plans and alter the government’s pandemic response.

February 4

New partnerships to tackle surgical backlog
CTV News Toronto
Comments by Dr. Ian Bookman
Unity Health has set up a partnership with a clinic to help ease the demand for non-urgent medical procedures.

Filling the AI knowledge gap in health care
The Globe and Mail
Interview with Dr. Amol Verma
AI holds vast potential to improve disease diagnoses, and to support the development of next-gen treatments, medications and therapies. The question is – are health care practitioners ready and equipped to leverage the technology?

February 3

Is COVID causing Canada’s birth rate to fall?
TVO – The Agenda
Interview with Dr. Tali Bogler
Following years of slow, steady decline, Canada’s fertility rate is now at an all-time low and COVID-19 is partially to blame. In 2020, as the pandemic began, the country went from a near 4 per cent drop in births and the lowest number of births in nearly 15 years.

Foster working her way back from harrowing accident
TSN
Comments by Dr. Michael Cusimano
Rylee Foster remembers flashes of the accident in Finland. She was a passenger in the backseat and recalls the beginning – the car losing control and beginning to roll.

A recipe for hope: How to vaccinate the world and end the pandemic
Healthy Debate
OpEd co-written by Dr. Danyaal Raza
There is new reason for hope in ending unequal vaccine access and finding a global resolution for the pandemic. Researchers at Baylor College in Texas have developed a vaccine based on established technology and common handling and refrigeration techniques. Best of all, they have no intention of filing a patent but have concrete plans for large-scale manufacturing in the Global South.

February 1

What to make of the latest COVID-19 modelling
CP24
Interview with Dr. Fahad Razak
Dr. Fahad Razak,a member of Ontario’s science advisory table, breaks down some of the latest modelling about the virus.

Up to four million Ontarians have had Omicron
CityNews
Comments by Dr. Fahad Razak
For the first time Premier Ford responds to the “trucker convoy” and weighs in the current COVID-19 climate in Ontario.

January 31

Patients with disabilities had longer COVID-19 hospital stays, high readmission rate: study
Canadian Press
Comments by Dr. Amol Verma
Sandi Bell knows how difficult it can be for someone with a disability to book a vaccine appointment through an online portal, or feel confident they’ll have a ride home from the clinic afterwards.

Our pandemic response must stop overlooking people with disabilities
The Globe and Mail
OpEd co-written by Dr. Fahad Razak and Dr. Amol Verma
Since the early days of the pandemic, the disability community has called for their prioritization in vaccination, hospital care and community support. It has long been clear that people with disabilities have a greater risk of contracting COVID-19 because they are more likely to live in congregate settings, experience poverty and rely on external people for support.

Pediatrician encourages COVID-19 vaccinations through TikTok videos
CBC Radio – Metro Morning
Interview with Dr. Ripudaman Minhas
Dr. Ripudaman Minhas is a Developmental Pediatrician at St. Michael’s Hospital and Medical Lead for Punjabi Kids Health.

The kids left behind
The Local
Comments by Dr. Ripudaman Minhas
Before it all came to a head—before she started crying, screaming, and pulling out chunks of her hair—the pandemic had taken one good thing after another from the five-year-old girl we’ll call Sriya.

Cutting through the COVID confusion
Healthy Debate
OpEd co-written by Dr. Tara Kiran
Every day, thousands of Canadians are infected with COVID. But this isn’t March 2020. As a result of high rates of vaccination and the particulars of Omicron, the overwhelming majority of those getting COVID currently will not need hospital care.

January 30

High rate of COVID-19 deaths this month in southwestern Ontario due to rate of infections, say doctors
CBC Windsor
Comments by Dr. Fahad Razak
The pace of deaths has accelerated this month across the province as the Omicron variant wave of COVID-19 has washed over the province, including in the southwestern region.

January 29

‘People are stranded:’ A downtown hospital is seeing a rise in cold-related injuries as shelters struggle to find spots
Toronto Star
Comments by Dr. Carolyn Snider, Dr. Stephen Hwang, Lp Pavey and Nicole Champagne
Physicians and outreach workers at St. Michael’s Hospital are seeing an alarming rise in the number of homeless individuals coming to the emergency department seeking shelter and suffering from severe cold-related injuries, including frostbite, painful foot infections and life-threatening hypothermia.

How Canada can avoid past mistakes as COVID-19 restrictions lift
CBC News
Comments by Dr. Irfan Dhalla
Canada is entering a new phase of the pandemic as restrictions are set to ease across much of the country. But avoiding the mistakes of the past and keeping the public onside will be extremely challenging as Omicron continues to hammer our health-care system.

January 28

We should debate the best COVID treatments. But let’s eschew revisionist history
The Globe and Mail
OpEd co-written by Dr. Arthur Slutsky and Dr. Amol Verma
Norman Doidge, our medical and academic colleague, is renowned for his writings in the realm of neuroscience and psychiatry. Dr. Doidge’s recent essay on the COVID-19 pandemic, however, seems to have generated more heat than light. It has been criticized by some as a defence of vaccine skepticism and lauded by others who agree with his contention that dissent has been stifled because of a prevailing “master narrative.”

January 27

Ontario’s crackdown on COVID-19 vaccine medical exemptions seems to be working
CBC News
Comments by Dr. Fahad Razak
Ontario’s new rules requiring a review of medical exemptions for COVID-19 vaccines seem to be reining in the number of people being granted a waiver from vaccination mandates.

January 25

Why being hospitalized ‘for’ COVID and ‘with’ COVID are different – and why it matters
CBC News New Brunswick
Comments by Dr. Amol Verma
Hospitalized “for COVID-19” or “with COVID-19”? It’s a distinction New Brunswick Public Health has been making recently in how it reports the number of people in hospital with the disease, and one which highlights the complexity around crediting COVID-19’s role in certain illnesses, experts say.

Help needed for those experiencing homelessness
CP24
Interview with Dr. Stephen Hwang
Advocates say more must be done to provide Toronto’s homeless population with housing, living materials and hygiene products.

Today marks two years since COVID-19 was first reported in Canada
Zoomer Radio
Interview with Dr. Prabhat Jha
Today marks two years since the ‘novel coronavirus’ was first detected in Canada, at Sunnybrook hospital in Toronto. One week later, the World Health Organization would declare it a public health emergency of international concern and it would ultimately become a pandemic by March 11th.

January 24

‘No reason for any wide-spread concern yet’ over Omicron sub-variant, says epidemiologist
CBC News – Power & Politics
Interview with Dr. Prabhat Jha
Dr. Jha, epidemiologist at St. Michael’s hospital, joins Power & Politics to discuss the new Omicron sub-variant BA.2 now being investigated by U.K. health authorities.

January 22

Fully vaccinated should mean 3 doses, says head of Ontario’s COVID-19 science table
CBC News
Comments by Dr. Prabhat Jha
The head of Ontario’s COVID-19 science advisory table is calling on the province to change the definition of the term “fully vaccinated” from two to three doses, even though Premier Doug Ford said this week his government wasn’t yet planning to do so.

January 21

High-risk Ontarians lagging on third doses of COVID vaccine
Toronto Star
Comments by Dr. Stephen Hwang
The call for COVID-19 booster shots to blunt the fast-moving Omicron wave pushed millions of Ontarians to get third doses.

Why letting users know what’s in the drugs they’re taking is important as opioid deaths rise
CBC News
Comments by Hayley Thompson
With opioid-related deaths mounting across Canada, health experts are warning that drug checking services are now more important than ever in helping users make informed decisions — and one Toronto pilot program is helping to do just that.

Why drug checking services are essential in the opioid crisis
Global News Radio 640
Interview with Hayley Thompson
Alan Carter speaks with Hayley Thompson, project manager, Toronto’s Drug Checking Service, about the importance of drug checking in harm-reduction services.

January 20

Ontario announces 3-step plan to ease pandemic restrictions January 20, 2022
CBC News – Power & Politics
Interview with Dr. Fahad Razak
Doctors Fahad Razak and David Naylor weigh in on Ontario’s plan to gradually ease restrictions.

January 19

Epstein-Barr virus may trigger MS later in life, research suggests
CBC News
Comments by Dr. Jiwon Oh
New research out of the U.S. suggests that having Epstein-Barr, a type of herpes virus that causes infectious mononucleosis, may be a key trigger in developing multiple sclerosis later in life.

Researchers examine why Ontario ER visits spike when COVID-19 cases drop
CBC News
Comments by Dr. Tara Kiran
Ontario researchers are looking into reasons behind the busiest times in the province’s emergency departments to help relieve the extreme burden facing hospital staff.

Uptake of third vaccine doses lags in many parts of the GTA that have been hot spots
Toronto Star
Comments by Dr. Ripudaman Minhas
When it comes to third-dose uptake of the COVID-19 vaccine, many of the same problems with access seen throughout the rollout are happening again, with GTA neighbourhoods that have borne the heaviest burden of the pandemic seeing some of the lowest vaccination rates in the province.

Poll: Ontarians want surgery backlog prioritized
CP24
Interview with Dr. Tara Kiran
Drs. Adam Kassam and Tara Kiran and Sandra Guiry with IPSOS discuss a survey that found most Ontarians want gov’t to invest in healthcare.

January 18

We are Black and Indigenous front line workers. Our own parents died of COVID-19 in Canada’s inequitable health system
Toronto Star
OpEd co-written by Dr. Suzanne Shoush
For so many in Canada, the concept of a collapsing healthcare system is impossible to conceive. For others, like our own families, the healthcare system has always been unreliable, failing and full of gaps.

Half of Ontario opioid deaths interacted with health-care system the month before: study
CBC News Network – Canada Tonight (segment starts at 19:15)
Interview with Dr. Tara Gomes
Half of Ontarians who died of an opioid overdose in the early stages of the pandemic had interacted with the health-care system in the month before their deaths, a new report shows.

1/4 of Ontario opioid deaths follow ‘missed opportunities’: analysis
ipolitics.ca
Comments by Dr. Tara Gomes and Dr. Gillian Kolla
One out of every four people who died by an opioid overdose in Ontario in the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic received health-care treatment days before their death, which researchers say could have been a chance to save their lives.

Half of Ontario opioid deaths interacted with health-care system the month before: study
Canadian Press
Comments by Dr. Tara Gomes
Half of Ontarians who died of an opioid overdose in the early stages of the pandemic had interacted with the health-care system in the month before their deaths, a new report shows.

Half of people who died from opioids in 2020 sought health care in the month before
Toronto Star
Comments by Dr. Tara Gomes and Dr. Gillian Kolla
Half of people who died from opioids during the first wave of the pandemic saw a health-care providerin the month leading up to their death, and a quarter sought help in the week before, a new report on opioid-related fatalities in Ontario has found.

Some Canadian travellers want to know why those entering from the U.S. face less stringent rules
CBC News
Comments by Dr. Prabhat Jha
Some Canadian travellers required to spend days in isolation waiting for COVID-19 test results after returning home from abroad want to know why Ottawa allows people arriving from the U.S. to skip quarantine.

January 17

Woman living with multiple sclerosis for 20 years says latest research offers hope for answers
CBC Radio – The Current
Interview with Dr. Jiwon Oh
The news that the Epstein-Barr virus plays a role in triggering multiple sclerosis has brought “reassurance” to Allison Markin, who has been living with the condition for two decades.
‘Uniquely awful’: Ontario hospitals face shortages of critical drugs to treat COVID patients
Toronto Star
Comments by Dr. Beth Leung
Ontario hospitals are facing shortages of critical drugs to treat COVID-19 patients amid a surge of cases, forcing some physicians to choose which patients receive potentially life-saving care, while others don’t have access to the drugs at all.

Air Canada, WestJet, Pearson airport urge end to COVID-19 arrival testing for vaccinated travellers
The Globe and Mail
Comments by Dr. Irfan Dhalla
Canada’s busiest airport and largest airlines are calling on the federal government to drop its arrival testing rule for vaccinated air travellers, as some of the country’s leading health experts also question the policy’s value.

January 16

Questions about the Omicron variant
CBC Radio – Cross Country Checkup
Interview with Dr. Prabhat Jha
The pandemic is continuing to shift, and we know you still have questions about it. Dr. Prabhat Jha, a physician, professor of global health at the University of Toronto and epidemiologist at St. Michael’s Hospital, on what we now know about Omicron.

January 15

Doctors are noticing patients are drinking more, fuelling more hospitalizations
Toronto Star
Comments by Dr. Sam Elfassy and Dr. Andrew Pinto
In the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Sam Elfassy noticed a worrying trend. The gastroenterologist at St. Joseph’s Health Centre in Toronto often asks patients about their drinking habits, as he treats chronic illnesses in the liver. But the responses he began to receive were alarming: most of his patients said they were drinking more than before, even those who never drank regularly.

Expect more worrisome variants after omicron, scientists say
ABC News
Comments by Dr. Prabhat Jha
Get ready to learn more Greek letters. Scientists warn that omicron’s whirlwind advance practically ensures it won’t be the last version of the coronavirus to worry the world.

January 14

Will Omicron end the pandemic?
TVO – The Agenda
Interview with Dr. Prabhat Jha
University of Toronto epidemiologist and founding-director of the Centre for Global Health Research at St. Michael’s Hospital Dr. Prabhat Jha breaks down how the pandemic wave triggered by Omicron differs from earlier ones and how other potential variants might be stopped. Could the fast and vast Omicron spread mean the beginning of the end of the COVID-19 pandemic?

Ontario’s top doctor issues directive on patient transfers amid record hospitalizations
CP24
Comments by Dr. Fahad Razak
Soaring COVID-19 hospitalizations have prompted Ontario’s top doctor to issue a directive to support overwhelmed hospitals, integrating the transfer of patients across the province’s health system.

Toronto doctor delivers baby on Qatar Airways flight
CityNews
Comments by Dr. Aisha Khatib
A Toronto travel medicine doctor redefined the title “travel medicine” when she delivered a baby on board a Qatar Airways flight last month.

January 13

Can’t get an N95 for kids? How to mask your children for Ontario’s return to school
Toronto Star
Comments by Dr. Anne Wormsbecker
With in-person schooling resuming in Ontario on Monday, shielding children from COVID infection in the classroom is once again at the forefront of many parents’ minds.

Peel Region sees a lag in pediatric vaccine uptake – what’s behind the hesitancy?
Global News Radio 640
Interview with Dr. Ripudaman Minhas
Alan speaks with Dr. Ripudaman Minhas, a pediatrician at St. Michael’s Hospital, about why Peel Region is seeing below-average child vaccination rates.

January 12

A new, virtual ER trip is now at your fingertips
Toronto Sun
Comments by Dr. Alun Ackery
It is like going to the emergency room without having to travel all the way to the hospital.

Peel Region sees below-average child vaccination rates amid Omicron surge
Toronto Star
Comments by Dr. Ripudaman Minhas
Peel Region is behind the provincial average in vaccinating children five to 11 — and community health professionals say it will take a concerted outreach effort to meet the goals.

Vaccine confidence concerns in Peel Region
OMNI TV (Punjabi)
Comments by Dr. Ripudaman Minhas
Ontario has seen a decline in the rate of vaccination of children against the COVID-19 vaccine. According to health experts, lack of information is one of the major reasons for this.

Omicron may be headed for a rapid drop in Britain, US
AP News
Comments by Dr. Prabhat Jha
Scientists are seeing signals that COVID-19′s alarming omicron wave may have peaked in Britain and is about to do the same in the U.S., at which point cases may start dropping off dramatically.

January 9

You have symptoms — now what? Your COVID-19 questions answered
CBC News Windsor
Q&A with Dr. Fahad Razak
CBC Windsor asked some of your COVID-19 questions to internist and epidemiologist Dr. Fahad Razak at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto.

January 7

Covid death toll in India likely far higher than official record, research says
NBC News
Comments by Dr. Prabhat Jha
Several million COVID-19 deaths have most likely gone unreported in India, according to a series of recent studies that suggest the country’s death toll from the virus is far higher than what has been officially tallied by the government.

January 6

Should you swab your nose – and your throat – for a more accurate at-home COVID test?
Toronto Star
Comments by Dr. Tara Kiran
With gold-standard testing for COVID-19 becoming increasingly difficult to find, debate is swirling over whether a throat swab sample should be collected alongside a nose swab for at-home rapid tests — contrary to some package instructions.

Clinical practice guideline panels lack diversity, study shows
Healio
Comments by Dr. Nav Persaud
Australian, American, Canadian and British panels that developed clinical practice recommendations most often consisted of white men and excluded historically underrepresented women, researchers reported in The Lancet.

Quebec to expand use of COVID-19 vaccine passports to liquor, cannabis stores
The Globe and Mail
Comments by Dr. Irfan Dhalla
Quebec is expanding its vaccination requirement to provincial liquor and cannabis stores, and warning that other retail is next, as Ontario says COVID-19 is so prevalent that most people with symptoms won’t get access to a rapid test to confirm they have it.

January 5

Rise in babies admitted to hospital with COVID-19 triggers calls for pregnant Ontarians to get vaccinated
Toronto Star
Comments by Dr. Tali Bogler
Ontario hospitals are seeing a rise in the number of kids, including babies, hospitalized with COVID-19, leading four major hospitals to issue a joint plea for pregnant people to get vaccinated.
Everything we know about long COVID, from strange phantom smells to chronic fatigue
National Post
Comments by Dr. Fahad Razak
At first, there was no sense of smell, “zero, zilch, nothing,” for weeks on end. And then Manali Mukherjee suddenly could smell smoke. She’d find herself in a panic: Is something burning? Is there a short circuit in the house? Some days it was like being inside a smokers’ lounge, the heavy cigarette smell lasting seven or eight hours and causing crippling cluster headaches.

Fed up parents call for boycott of online classes as province shifts to virtual learning to fight COVID-19
CBC News Toronto
Comments by Dr. Ripudaman Minhas
There’s growing evidence that parents are getting fed up with online learning in Ontario, with some calling for boycotts and “parent strikes” as the province shifts to virtual classes for the third straight school year.

January 4

Mother pleads with Ontario for in-person learning for special needs sons
Global News
Comments by Dr. Ripudaman Minhas
The mother of twin teenagers with special needs is calling on the province to do more to accommodate her sons during the shift to online learning.

January 3

Benzodiazepines ‘a major problem’ in illicit drug supply
CBC News
Comments by Karen McDonald
Within a fraction of a second, Speedy says he knew something was wrong. In September, the longtime drug user, who didn’t want CBC to use his real name, unwittingly smoked fentanyl spiked with a benzodiazepine.