6 feet may not be enough: wind may carry coronavirus farther
(Brian Krans/ Healthline) — While there’s still much to be understood about COVID-19, a recent batch of research is giving infectious disease experts some new information about the distance the new coronavirus can travel and how long it can linger in the air.
Researchers know the virus that causes COVID-19 is spread through respiratory …
Johnson & Johnson to discontinue talc-based baby powder in Canada and U.S.
(Ben Cousins/ CTV News) – Johnson & Johnson has decided to permanently discontinue its talc-based baby powder in Canada and the U.S. and is blaming “misinformation” about the product for the decision.
In a news release issued Tuesday, Johnson & Johnson said its consumer health department began prioritizing high-demand items …
Early results from Moderna coronavirus vaccine trial show participants developed antibodies against the virus
(Elizabeth Cohen/ CNN) — Volunteers who received Moderna’s Covid-19 vaccine had positive early results, according to the biotech company, which partnered with the National Institutes of Health to develop the vaccine.
If future studies go well, the company’s vaccine could be available to the public as early as January, …
WHO emergencies chief says novel coronavirus may be here to stay
(Associated Press) — The World Health Organization’s emergencies chief said it’s possible the new coronavirus may be here to stay, warning it’s impossible to predict when the pandemic might be controlled.
“This virus may never go away,” Dr. Michael Ryan said in a news briefing on Wednesday. He said …
What does ‘recovered from coronavirus’ mean?
(Tom Duszynski/ The Conversation) — The coronavirus is certainly scary, but despite the constant reporting on total cases and a climbing death toll, the reality is that the vast majority of people who come down with COVID-19 survive it. Just as the number of cases grows, so does another number: those who have recovered.
In mid-March, …
Archaic paper records submitted by fax hold up real-time COVID-19 data
(Laura Ossman/ Canadian Press) — The old-fashioned way Canada records deaths means the country could be missing out on data important to addressing the COVID-19 crisis.
The confirmed number of COVID-19 deaths – about 4,900 across Canada as of Monday afternoon – represents people who have tested positive for the viral disease.
Experts …
‘Plandemic’ video peddles falsehoods about COVID-19
(Claire Savage, Agence France-Presse) — Plandemic — a slickly-edited, 26-minute interview with a discredited researcher — has been widely shared on social media. But the video, which YouTube and Facebook are working to remove for violating content standards, contains multiple false or misleading claims, including …
Could blood thinners be crucial for patients with COVID-19 related clots?
(Lipi Roy, MD, MPH/ Forbes) — I will never forget my first night on call in the Duke cardiac care unit (CCU). A 49-year-old woman was urgently transferred from the medicine ward with severe shortness of breath, hypotension and tachycardia. It was only my second month as an intern and I was pretty nervous. But I remembered enough to know that …
Pandemic shows power of doctor’s phone call to provide care
(CBC News) — It was intended as an interim measure to protect people during the pandemic, but now that doctors across Canada have embraced virtual care, some clinicians and patients would like to see it continue.
Earlier this week, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced more than $240 million in funding to expand the capacity for virtual …