Smokers up to 80% more likely to be admitted to hospital with Covid
(Linda Geddes/ The Guardian) — Smokers are 60%-80% more likely to be admitted to hospital with Covid-19 and also more likely to die from the disease, data suggests.
A study, which pooled observational and genetic data on smoking and Covid-19 to strengthen the evidence base, contradicts research published at the …
Eating less fat may save your hair
(Science Daily) — Researchers have uncovered a molecular mechanism behind why obesity can lead to hair thinning. They found that stem cells within hair follicles in mice given a high-fat diet behaved differently from those in mice with a standard diet.
It’s well known that obesity is linked to the development …
Civil rights lawyer wants PREM system for doctors declared unconstitutional
(Jacob Serebrin/ The Canadian Press) — Montreal-based civil rights lawyer Julius Grey said Friday he will ask a judge next week to suspend Quebec’s system for determining how many family doctors can practise in a specific region of the province.
Earlier this week, Health Minister Christian Dubé reduced the number of new …
The Quebec Breast Cancer Foundation tackles diagnostic delays
(The Canadian Press) — Exasperated by the wait to obtain a breast cancer diagnosis, the Quebec Breast Cancer Foundation is launching a pilot project to determine where the bottlenecks are, support women awaiting such a diagnosis and, to ultimately, reduce waiting times.
The foundation launched, Friday in Montreal, …
What Canadians can expect from COVID-19 this fall and winter
(Marc Gollom/ CBC News) — With the beginning of fall and a more transmissible strain of the coronavirus than last year’s taking hold, Canadians may wonder about the outlook of the pandemic over the next few months.
Some epidemiologists and infectious disease specialists are expressing cautious optimism, …
Merck says it has the first antiviral pill effective against Covid
(Rebecca Robbins/ New York Times) — The drug maker Merck said on Friday that its pill to treat Covid-19 was shown in a key clinical trial to halve the risk of hospitalization or death when given to high-risk people early in their infections.
The strong results suggest that a new wave of effective and easy-to-use treatments …
Can a good nap make up for a bad night’s sleep?
(Dave Yasvinski/ Healthing) — Grabbing a nap in the middle of the day won’t undo the dangers of a restless night, according to a new study that stresses the importance of sustained shuteye on cognitive function.
The research, conducted at Michigan State University’s Sleep and Learning Lab and published in the journal Sleep, …
COVID-19 study that turned out to be wrong spread like wildfire among anti-vaxxers
(Adam Miller/ CBC News) — An inaccurate Canadian study suggesting an extremely high rate of heart inflammation after COVID-19 vaccines has been retracted due to a major mathematical error — but not before it spread like wildfire on anti-vaccination websites and social media.
The preprint study, which was released …
Medical experts urge caution over use of acetaminophen during pregnancy
(Christine Birak, Marcy Cuttler, Lauren Pelley/ CBC News) — People who are pregnant should be cautious about taking acetaminophen as it may alter fetal development, according to a coalition of international public health experts.
In a consensus statement published on Thursday in the scientific journal …